Cuba’s first medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics came with a bittersweet taste. Cuban boxer Arlen López took bronze after facing Ukrainian Oleksandr Khyzhniak in the semi-finals.
The fight, which took place this Sunday at 17:22 local time, was very disputed, but Khyzhniak, who did not stop throwing throughout the match, took the victory by split decision (3-2), thus destroying López’s possibility of achieving his triple Olympic crown.
With López’s bronze, Cuba celebrates its first medal at these Games, albeit with some sadness. The Cuban had the potential to reach the final of his category, but neither his coaches nor the judges considered that his performance was enough to beat the Ukrainian.
However, it is not all bad news for Cuban boxing. In a previous fight, Erislandy Alvarez shone with another excellent performance and made it to the final, proving beyond a doubt that he deserved to fight for gold at these Olympic Games.
Statements by Arlen Lopez
Before the semi-final fights, both boxers gave an interview to the Spanish media Brand. Lopez spoke about the difficulties faced by Cuban boxers:
“I think we need to raise that level because we don’t have all the conditions that other countries and other boxers have. They have a better diet, more vitamins and in general better conditions than us,” said Arlen.
“That is the sacrifice that has given us so much benefit and maybe, if we had the opportunity that other countries have, I would not have all the medals that I have achieved not only in boxing but also in other sports. I also think that it would be very useful if they gave us a little help and raised that level to guarantee an improvement in those aspects,” he continued.
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