Havana, August 7 (Radio Habana Cuba) — The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel praised this Wednesday the title won by the Cuban boxer Erislandy Álvarez in the 63.5 kilogram division, at the Olympic Games (JJOO) ‘Paris 2024’.

“Handsome and well-built, as they say in good Cuban, Erislandy Álvarez has won a gold that was fought for until the last blow,” wrote the Cuban president on the social network X.

Shortly after the boxer’s success in the French capital, the dignitary said: “This is how you fight and this is how you win, even with the odds against you. With courage, passion and joy. Cuba celebrates and dances with you for this beautiful victory.”

For his part, the president of the National Assembly of People’s Power (Parliament) of Cuba, Esteban Lazo Hernández, congratulated the young man for his performance in the Olympics.

“Congratulations Erislandy Álvarez! Your Olympic victory in boxing is another immense joy for the Homeland,” he said on the same platform.

“Congratulations also to the other medalists of our delegation on this emotional day,” he added.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez, also celebrated the gold medal of the Cienfuegos native, the second won so far by the Cuban delegation, along with that of the five-time Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, Mijaín López.

“Extraordinary victory for Erislandy Álvarez for the gold medal in boxing in Paris 2024,” said the island’s foreign minister in X.

“We vibrated with emotion with each of his blows and in each round of that great final,” he said, and considered Álvarez’s achievement in the ring of the Roland-Garros stadium as a new triumph for Cuban sport.

Other authorities on the island joined in the celebrations for the boxer’s golden triumph.   (Source: Prensa Latina)

With journalistic contribution of Orlando González Cruz

Paris, August 6 (Radio Habana Cuba) — Greco-Roman wrestling champion Mijaín López has won his fifth Gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics!     The best Greco-Roman wrestler in the history of the summer events touched history once again today and was crowned Olympic champion for the fifth time, defeating Yasmani Acosta, also from Cuba, and representing Chile, in the final (6-0).

Born in the municipality of Herradura (coincidence or causality), in the province of Pinar del Río, he became the protector of the island’s athletics teams from Beijing 2008 to the present, climbing to the top of the podium uninterruptedly until Paris 2024.

The six-time winner under the five rings is easy to say, but to give an idea of ​​the magnitude of the feat: he extended Cuba’s consecutive titles in this sport since the Barcelona 1992 event; he became the first athlete in the world to climb to the top of the podium in the same event, in five Olympic games; He broke his own record of golds in that discipline, separating himself by two from another legend, the Russian Alexandr Karelin (three); he became the Cuban with the greatest number of achievements, surpassing the legendary fencer Ramón Fonst (four golds and one silver).

Add to the above the greatest prize, having the love and admiration of an entire people, a medal that is not hung around the neck, but in the soul.

A crown is not exempt from other aspirants to the throne, and for almost two decades, there have been several challengers to the ‘Ebony Giant’ among them, a great like the Turk Riza Kayaalp, one of the few who could beat him in some competition, but who had to bow his head again and again to Mijain in this type of competition.

In the current Parisian contest, another challenger was looming, the young Iranian world champion Amin Mirzazadeh, but the experience of the “old king” prevailed over the talented opponent (3-1) in what seemed like an early final in the second outing on the mat.

Previously, he had defeated South Korean Seungcham Lee (7-0) and in the semi-finals, the bronze medalist in Rio de Janeiro 2016, the Azerbaijani Sabah Shariati (4-0).

You already know the result, the gods of wrestling could not commit such an affront, because Olympus has a monarch, and he is Cuban.

Havana, August 6 ( Radio Habana Cuba / Prensa Latina ) — Four-time Olympic champion Mijaín López thanked Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel today for his conversation after reaching the final of the 130 kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“Thank you for your call,” López said at the end of the conversation with the president, according to the Cuban sports newspaper Jit on social media X.

“Be sure that tomorrow [Tuesday ] that title will be for Cuba,” Mijaín assured Díaz-Canel.

The Cuban wrestler will fight Tuesday for his fifth crown under the five rings, after beating Azerbaijani Sabah Shariati, world ranking leader in 2024, in the semifinals.

The living legend of Greco-Roman wrestling managed to unbalance Shariati in the first half to go 3-0 ahead, and in the second, with a counterattack, he scored another to win 4-1.

For the title, he will face the Cuban, naturalized Chilean, Yasmani Acosta, who beat the Chinese Lingzhe Meng in the other semifinal.  The five-time world champion also declared that he has always fulfilled what he has promised the Cuban people, in reference to the commitment to reach his fifth consecutive Olympic final.

“I know that in Cuba, everyone is in front of the television.  There is only one step left to dance a little more,” he commented during an exchange with journalists accredited to the summer event.

“I am happy to be able to fight here for my fifth gold medal and to be able to give the Cuban people joy,” he expressed.

Lopez also said that with the 3-1 victory against the Iranian Amin Mirzazadeh in his second appearance on Monday, he overcame a major obstacle on the road to winning the competition.

Mirzazadeh, the current world champion, was considered the main contender for the gold medal, and for the native of Herradura, in the western province of Pinar del Río, the fight between the two was an early final.

“He is a young man who comes inspired, with the desire to win the title, but between youth and experience, experience always prevails,” stressed the legendary Cuban fighter.

August 1 (Belly of the Beast)

Welcome to the third installment of Belly of the Beast’s newsletter: Cuba in Context.

This is your one-stop shop for breaking news, incisive reporting and the untold stories about Cuba and U.S.-Cuba relations.

Cuba has won more Olympic medals than any other country in Latin America, a third of them in boxing.

We filmed Cuba’s top boxers at Cuba’s National Boxing Academy in Havana before they made their journey to Paris.

Havana, Aug 5 (Radio Habana Cuba) – Cuban wrestling star Mijaín López (130 kg) debuted with a 7-0 victory over South Korea’s Seungchan Lee in the round of 16 at the Paris-2024 Olympic Games.

In his next outing, the four-time Olympic and five-time world champion will face the reigning world champion, Iranian Amin Mirzazadeh, in the quarterfinals.

About to turn 42 years old, Mijaín is looking for his fifth Olympic gold in a row in the Parisian capital, an unprecedented feat in Olympic sport.

Mirzazadeh also made his debut with a 3-1 victory over Adam Jacob of the United States.