VILLEPINTE.- The two-time Olympic champion Arlen Lopez kept the flagship of Olympism afloat Cuban in the Paris Olympicsafter the setback hours before of flyweight Alejandro Claro Fiz threatened to sound the alarm for the Antillean boxing delegation.
López defeated Uzbek Turabek Khabibullaev 3-2 on Friday in an action-packed fight, where the Cuban asserted his superiority over a hungry rival of just 20 years old who went blow for blow with one of the most decorated boxers in Olympic history.
“Whatever happens, I am very happy to be on the podium for the third time and I will continue to move forward,” Lopez stressed. “I will change the colour of the medal.”
The Cuban, champion in this same light heavyweight category in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, is now two wins away from joining the ranks of historic figures such as Teófilo Stevenson and Félix Savón with three Olympic golds. His victory was enough to remove a bitter taste from Cuba’s mouth in the Olympic boxing tournament.
Hours earlier, Claro Fiz was eliminated in the flyweight quarterfinals, becoming the third of the five boxers from the island delegation who could not access the medals.
Facing a skilled opponent and a hostile environment at the Paris North Arena, the Cuban star put in an action-packed fight against local star Billal Bennama, but it was not enough. Claro lost 3-2 when British judge Lee Innes gave the Frenchman the third round for a final score of 29-28 that decided the fight.
Claro Fiz joins his compatriots Saidel Horta and Julio Cesar la Cruz in falling before the semi-finals of the Olympic boxing tournament. Cuba has secured medals in its two remaining boxers, Lopez and Erislandy Alvarez.
“We haven’t had a positive cycle, so to speak… but that’s how events are, you win and you lose,” said the two-time Olympic champion. “We always want to be that light that shines on those behind us, but that’s how sport is, you win and you lose.”
Award-winning track record
Cuba has won 78 medals in boxing throughout its history at the Olympic Games, by far the most decorated discipline in the island’s Olympics, above the 45 medals in athletics. Of its medals in the ring, it has 45 golds, 19 silvers and 18 bronzes. Only the United States has more gold medals than Cuba’s 50 in Olympic boxing.
The island returned with medals from its five participants in Tokyo 2020, including 4 golds. Two of those champions returned to defend their titles, La Cruz and López, but both were eliminated at the first opportunity. Claro assures that this is not a reflection of a decline, but of a generational change.
“Nothing is happening, everything is fine, we are training hard and we are young figures and we are very well prepared,” said the Cuban after his fight, refusing to answer any more questions. “We Cubans will continue to be the best and we will continue to give it our all.”
