Fifty Percent of Cuban Athletes take Home a Medal

Ortiz vs. Nunes

KAZAN – Cuban athletes are benefitting from the FISU Aid Programme to attend the 27^th Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia and they have been reaping the rewards.

A team of one male and five female student-athletes will take home one gold, two silver and two bronze medals after a dominant display in judo.

Among these six athletes is Olympic gold medalist Idalys Bocourt Ortiz. The Olympic Champion who studies at the University of Physical Culture and Sports in Havana will be taking back home a gold and a silver medal.

Ortiz, who won the gold medal in the women’s over 78-kilogram at the London Olympics and bronze at the Beijing Games has reaffirmed herself as the best judo fighter at the Universiade for her category.

She fought Brazilian Judoka, Rochele Nunes in both her final matches in Kazan, winning gold in the 78 kg-category, while the tables were turned in the Women’s Open category and Ortiz could only manage silver in her second match.

The Cuban delegation also includes Yanet Bermoy Acosta who fought in the women’s 52 kg category. She made it through to the final two but could not beat the home grown hero, Russia’s Natalias Kuziutina and settled for the silver.

Meanwhile, 25-year-old Onix Aldama Cortes, who also studies in Havana, rounded out the medals with a bronze in the women’s 70-kg category. She defeated Mongolian Judoka, Tserenkhand Trendsuren in the semi-finals. The same thing happened to Dayaris Rosa Mastre Alvarez who competed in the women’s 48 kg judo and got a bronze medal after beating Ewa Konieczny from Poland.

With a 50 percent strike rate, the Cuban team will be leaving Kazan all smiles, with plenty of hardware to add to their collection when the athletes return to university in the Caribbean.

Rendra Ardyan/FISU Young Reporter (INA)