In spite of being absent from the track for a decade now, the first Cuban Olympic champion in the 110 meters hurdles is still in quite good shape, weighing about 115 kilograms at his 1.92 m height. Speaking with Havana Times, he recognized that he misses his golden age.
Erick Lopez is the athlete with the largest number of medals from the Pan American Games (18) and the most honored in the history of Cuban gymnastics, however, he has always been uncomfortable in front of the cameras. Publicity wasn’t his thing, and in spite of being unable to avoid the media, he has always appeared quite shy.
Angel Valodia Matos is the only ever Cuban Taekwondo Olympic Champion. With an interesting CV, he’s had a more than a commendable sports career, however, he is unfortunately remembered more for having kicked a referee in the face during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
The performances of Matanzas and Las Tunas stood out, the latter with their best result ever, while the team from the capital (Industriales) took advantage of their good first half, because in the second they lost more than they won. Meanwhile, Granma hopes to repeat last years crown.
For almost two decades, public participation shows on Cuban TV had practically disappeared. Or they weren’t visually attractive enough or they didn’t capture the viewing audience’s attention because of their reductionist content. Now they are back.