Cuba Athletes Win Medals in Shooting and Long Jump

Cuban Leuris Pupo won the Silver medal on Monday in the Olympic 25-meter rapid fire final while Juan Miguel Echevarría and Maykel Massó won silver and bronze, respetively, in the long jump event

Nine years after taking the Gold in London 2012, Cuban Leuris Pupo once again exhibited surgical precision and won the Silver medal on Monday in the Olympic 25-meter rapid fire final.

‘”Another dream come true,” he said in his usually low tone.   “This is a reward for the sacrifice the sport demands,” he added as the life calendar reveals his 44 years, well over half placed on the firing line.

Although he did not have a high-caliber qualifying phase, with 583 points, Pupo took on an air of confidence when he saw himself among old acquaintances, although he stressed that a new generation is pushing forward, led by his compatriot Jorge Félix Álvarez (578), 12th place among 26 contestants.

Only one gunman withstood the onslaught of the Caribbean: the Frenchman Jean Quiquampoix, runner-up five years ago and who now starred in a hesitant start, but somehow managed to trace the path of the bullets and interpret an unbeatable performance, which left him with 34 units.

However, Pupo’s 29 points were enough to leave Daeyoon Han (26), from South Korea, in third place, in a closing not suitable for people with heart problems, as the process of gradual elimination accelerates the palpitations between goals and more goals.

And in the midst of the euphoria, he thanked the support of Peru, El Salvador and Spain, where together with Alvarez and coach Meinardo Torres they fulfilled preparation bases to reach Tokyo in the best possible conditions, in a difficult context due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thus, Cuban sport shooting extended its record after the bronzes of Roberto Castrillo (Moscow 1980, skeet), Juan Miguel Rodriguez (Athens 2004, skeet) and Eglys de la Cruz (Beijing 2008, rifle three positions at 50 meters), in addition to the aforementioned of the other winner in Tokyo.

This was the third medal of the day for the island’s delegation, which experienced bittersweet moments with the closing of the men’s long jump and the awards of Juan Miguel Echevarría (silver) and Maykel Massó (bronze).

Pending the resolution of the metals already secured in boxing and wrestling, Cuba accumulates two more podiums, after the second place of judo player Idalys Ortiz, in over 78 kilograms, and the third place of taekwondo Rafael Alba (over 80).

Silver and Bronze for Cuba in Tokyo 2020 Olympic Long Jump Competition

Cuba won Silver and Bronze in the long jump at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after the Greek Militiadis Tentoglou won the Gold in his last attempt.

The European managed to stretch to 8.41 meters on his sixth attempt to equal the mark set by Cuba’s Juan Miguel Echevarría, but having recorded a best second jump of 8.15, he took the Olympic title.

Echevarría had the distance that earned him the Silver medal on his third attempt, but in his fourth attempt he injured his leg and could not appear in his last attempt to try to surpass the Greek’s second mark and win the gold medal.

Similarly it happened to the other Cuban, Maykel Massó, who after starting with the 8.21 that gave him the final bronze, was injured on his next jump and gave up his remaining chances.

This is Greece’s second crown in Tokyo 2020, as well as the second silver and bronze medals for Cuba.