Cubans Excel in Beijing
2008
BEIJING - Two great
Cuban athletes excelled
in Beijing on Tuesday,
although they finished
fifth, but they won the
medals to their effort
and honor, after their
frustrated wish to win
medals for the Caribbean
Island.
Driulis Gonzalez
completed her
performance in the
Olympic Games, after
winning gold, silver and
bronze medals in four
previous editions.
The Cuban judoka was
defeated by Holland's
Elisabeth Wileboordse in
the bronze-medal combat,
minutes after having
lost the gold-medal
fight to Japan's Ayumi
Tanimoto.
For his part,
Greco-Roman wrestler
Roberto Monzon confirmed
his retirement from
active sport after a
15-year career that
included a silver
Olympic medal and three
world titles.
"I did everything I
could. I wanted the
medal," he said, after
losing the bronze-medal
fight to Kirgizstan's
Ruslan Tiumenbaev, in
the 60-kg division.
Weightlifter Yordanis
Borrero told Prensa
Latina that he accepted
the great challenge in
the 69-kg division, and
was close to winning a
medal, but he finished
fourth.
Cuban rowers still
harbor hopes to qualify
for the semifinals and
finish among the first
12 boats in the men's
and women's two-seat
competitions and the
men's four-seat contest.
In the bronze-medal
combat in the 55-kg
division, Greco-Roman
wrestler Yagnier
Hernandez lost to
Armenian champion Roman
Amoyan.
For their part, Tamara
Larrea and Dalixia
Fernandez expect to
qualify for the next
round in the beach
volleyball tournament,
although they lost 0-2
(15-21 and 16-21) to
world champions Misty
May-Treanor and Terri
Walsh, from the United
States.
Cuban judoka Oscar
Cardenas also failed to
win medals in the 81-kg
division, after losing
to Portugal's Joao Neto
by ippon in the second
round. |
