How Cuba Stands at the London Olympics

HAVANA TIMES — Cuba has two chances in boxing for a gold medal in the Light welterweight (Saturday) and Fly weight (Sunday) division’s final bouts at the London Olympics.

Robeisy Ramirez faces Mongolian boxer Nyambayaryn Tögstsogt and Roniel Iglesias fights Denys Berinchyk from the Ukriane.

To date Cuba has 11 medals at the london Olympics: 3 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze. It currently ranks 21st on the overall medals chart.  If it’s athletes were to win the two boxing finals Cuba could rise as high as 15th place.

The latest additions were Leonel Suarez who repeated his Beijing bronze in the Decathon, and boxers Lazaro Alvarez and Yasniel Toledo who also won bronze.

At the 2004 Athens Olympics Cuba managed 9 gold, 7 silver and 11 bronze medals. At Beijing 2008, the island’s athletes brought home 2 gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze.

Note: on Saturday evening Roniel Iglesias won his bout 22-15 over Denys Berinchyk to give Cuba its fourth gold medal. Then on Sunday, Flyweight Robeisy Ramirez won Cuba’s second Olympic boxing gold medal (fifth overall for Cuba) with a 17-14 victory over Mongolia’s Tugstsogt Nyambayar. Cuba obtained its last medal on Sunday, when wrestler Liván Lopéz picked up bronze in the Men’s 66 kg freestyle wrestling division. 

Cuba ended up with 5 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze medals and placed 15th on the overall medals chart. The closest Latin American and Caribbean squads were Jamaica in 18th place and Brazil 22nd.