Skip to content
April 1, 2023
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
  • Discord
Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond

Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond

From Venezuela and made by Venezuelan Chavistas

Primary Menu
  • News
  • Opinion
  • About us
    • About us
    • Who we are – Becoming a Volunteer
    • Editorial guidelines for contributors
    • Our Sources
      • Venezuelan Sources
      • International Sources
    • Contact us
  • Categories
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Security and Defense
    • International
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Europe
      • Oceania
      • US/Canada
    • Latin America and ALBA-TCP
      • South America
      • Central America and the Caribbean (+Mexico)
    • Ideology-Commune-Labor
    • Health-Education-Sport-Culture-Technology
    • Solidarity and Social Movements
    • OT Specials
  • Support Us
Light/Dark Button
YouTube Channel
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • Cuba’s Example Shone in Tokyo Olympics with 15 Medals
  • Central America and the Caribbean (+Mexico)
  • Latin America and ALBA-TCP
  • Opinion

Cuba’s Example Shone in Tokyo Olympics with 15 Medals

August 14, 2021

By Nikos Mottas – Aug 12, 2021

The performance of the Cuban athletes who took part in the XXXII Olympics in Tokyo and achieved a total of 15 medals causes admiration and pride.

Leaving behind much larger countries with rich tradition in sports, the small socialist Cuba with a population of 11 million people ranked 14th in the Olympic medal list, winning seven gold, three silver and five bronze medals.

Of course, this is not the first time that Cuba has performed great in the Olympics. For many decades, despite the genocidal economic, trade and financial blockade imposed by the United States, the Island of the Revolution has triumphed in multiple Olympics.

RELATED CONTENT: The Olympic Medals of a ‘Failed State’

In 2004 in Athens, Cuba ranked 11th with a total of 27 medals. In 2008 in Beijing, the country of Fidel was placed in the 19th place having won 30 medals, while at the 2012 London Olympics Cuba ranked 16th with 15 medals.

It is worth noting that, based on the total number of medals won at the Summer Olympic Games, Cuba comes second, after the United States, in the entire American continent with 241 medals (85-71-85). That means that Cuba has more Olympic medals than large Latin American countries, like Brazil (150), Mexico (73) and Argentina (77), while it ranks first among the Spanish-speaking world surpassing Spain (167 medals).

Cuba’s great sporting tradition is a product of the 1959 Revolution and the subsequent socialist construction. Having as their sole sponsor the care of the socialist state and being far from the sirens of commercialization, Cuban athletes were and remain ambassadors of the Cuban people and the Cuban Revolution.

RELATED CONTENT: If the US Really Cared About Freedom in Cuba, it Would End its Punishing Sanctions

A great example was the legendary boxer Teofilo Stevenson who in the 1970s turned own a $5 million offer by the US to become “professional” and fight against the then champion Muhammed Ali. His extraordinary answer is the epitomy of dignity and patriotism: “What is five million dollars against the love of eight million Cubans?”

Overcoming enormous difficulties, a continuous economic, political and media-related war by the US imperialists, the Cuban flag waved proudly in Tokyo. And if there is one thing we will keep in memory, apart from the 15 medals won by Cuban athletes, is the message sent by gold medalist boxer Julio César la Cruz after his victory over dissident Emanuel Reyes Pla: “Homeland or Death! We will win!”

 

Featured image: A collage of the Cuban medal winners at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Photo from Cuba Debate.

(In Defense of Communism)

Don't want to be a victim of the Algorithm?

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR WEEKLY DIGEST WITH ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VENEZUELA AND BEYOND

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

scorinoco
+ posts
  • scorinoco
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/sahelicot92/
    Guillermo Lasso, president of Ecuador. Photo: Prensa Latina.
    April 1, 2023
    Ecuador: Impeachment Motion Against President Lasso Advances
  • scorinoco
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/sahelicot92/
    Illustration showing President Maduro with the Venezuelan flag and Hugo Chávez's face in the background. Photo: Al Mayadeen.
    April 1, 2023
    The Fight Against Corruption, the Banner of Chavismo
  • scorinoco
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/sahelicot92/
    Disqualified opposition candidate Juan Guaidó smiles at supporters during a 2022 rally in Caracas. Photo: REUTERS/Gaby Oraa.
    April 1, 2023
    Venezuela Opposition Primaries Falter Between Exclusions, Criticisms, and Lawsuits
  • scorinoco
    https://orinocotribune.com/author/sahelicot92/
    Evan Gerashkovich, Wall Street Journal correspondent in Russia who has been arrested by Russian security agency FSB on espionage charges. Photo: vk.com/ Evan Gershkovich.
    April 1, 2023
    Wall Street Journal Reporter Arrested in Russia on Suspicion of Espionage
Tags: #Tokyo2020 Cuba Cuba in Tokyo Cuban Revolution Julio César la Cruz olympic games and us sanctions sports as a right in socialist Cuba Teofilo Stevenson Tokyo Olympics

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Continue Reading

Previous Previous post:

Attorney General of Venezuela Continues the Search for Carlos Lanz

Next Next post:

Peru No Longer Wants to ‘Wag Its Tail’ in the Backyard of the US

Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter

We keep your data private and share your data only with third parties that make this service possible. Read our Privacy Policy.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

NEWS: Most Viewed 72 Hours

Calendar

April 2023
M T W T F S S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
« Mar    

Categories

OPINION: Most Viewed 72 hours

We are on Telegram


Receive our news directly in your cellphone or PC, join us on our TELEGRAM channel: https://t.me/OrinocoTribune1

 

Download TELEGRAM, click the link above and then press the JOIN button.

We are on Discord


Now we are also on Discord you will be able to follow our every move and interact with our team.

Join us by clicking here



All our work is free to use and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

We are on Reddit

If you are more into REDDIT, join our Orinoco Tribune Community.

 

Just click below and then click JOIN
https://www.reddit.com/r/OrinocoTribune/

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Reddit
  • Telegram
  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
  • Discord
Copyleft, No rights reserved.

Support us, DONATE NOW!