A record 93 nations made it onto the medal chart, and an unprecedented number of 65 won a gold, while over 22% of the Cuban team’s members are bringing a medal home
Cuba rose to the challenge. Its liberating, emancipatory work made it so. From Céspedes to Martí, from Martí to Fidel and Raúl, the legacy continues to germinate in a people, from which exceptional human beings sprout: scientists, doctors, engineers, teachers, researchers, workers and officers… Women and youth carry on a history of commitment, as a starting point for new victories.
A deep sense of honor is born in this homeland. No matter how steep the slope or rugged the path, be the adversary faster, taller or stronger, the Cuban people put their hearts into the task. Beating hard on the track, on the wrestling mat, in the canoe or the boxing ring, the most beautiful land that human eyes have ever seen did not sleep for 15 days, as a people and its athletes dreamed and lived one of the most extraordinary performances ever of our island nation in the Olympic Games.
In Tokyo-2020, the mission was completed. Fourteenth place on the medal chart is a privilege that in 125 years only 36 other countries have earned. The competition was stiff and to conquer this ranking, for only the third time in so many years, seven gold medals were required, when the average in all previous events was 2.31, in an edition that refused to die – overcoming the pandemic, giving humanity hope and a lesson about what sports competition can mean. A record 93 nations made it onto the medal chart, the first time 90 or more were included, while a unprecedented number of 65 won a gold: a figure than never reached more than 57, the total in Rio de Janeiro-2016 and Atlanta-1996.
Ours was an extraordinary feat. The Cuban delegation was a small but well-prepared one, which met the challenging goal of placing among the top 20 and, went for more, occupying a spot in the top fifteen, the sacred preserve of a select 36 nationalities, a powerful minority. This was made possible by the team’s effectiveness, with 22.05% of members winning a medal, that is to say, one of every four athletes made sure our flag was raised during an awards ceremony.
It is time to enjoy the euphoria, to welcome our heroes and heroines in their neighborhoods, but we are already on the way to Paris-2024, analyzing the lessons of Tokyo-2020: the number of injuries in athletics, the centrality of the first bout in judo and wrestling, and the priority given to the pursuit of such an outcome. Never being satisfied has made us great, this is how Cuba has been able to persevere, fighting for our development and wellbeing, and as the Olympic champion she is, emerges victorious, just like our athletes.
source: Granma
