A month away before the flame of the XXXIII Olympic Games is lit, in Paris, the city that on the 26th will become the second city, after London, to host the great event of world sport three times. There, Cuba has not given up on remaining among the top 20 nations.

This purpose has just been confirmed by sports authorities. It’s about not giving up on continuing to grow in a colossal work of creativity and resistance, in the face of the intensified attempts of its historical enemy, the United States. The economic, commercial, and financial blockade of that world power against a small island, in addition to being genocidal, because it tries to kill by hunger, is ridiculous and sterile. Cuban athletes and their triumphs have proven it to them.

Due to this policy, which includes the inclusion of Cuba among the alleged countries sponsoring terrorism and the 243 coercive measures, conducted by the Government itself, the island will go with one of its smallest delegations in the last 50 years.

Almost a hundred Cuban athletes have emigrated, after the pressures caused by this hostility, to which is added, as part of the plan, the persecution of athletes, which has come to be classified as the crime of human trafficking, even in multi-sports meetings, as happened in 2007, at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, with a mafia conspiracy to remove the Cuban boxers from the venue. However, the one with the glass roof includes this country in another outdated list or report on human trafficking. The new mega-lie attempts to justify their hostility.

Cuba will not stop denouncing the abuses against it or against any other people, but it does not complain or take refuge in it, it takes up the challenge and, as always, defies the circumstances. That’s why it has set such a high standard, which it has maintained, uninterruptedly, since Munich-1972.

It will undertake it, at most, with about 60 athletes. Today it already has 47, among whom almost twenty have possibilities to get to the podium, and between five or six, will make it to the top.

About five gold medals is the estimate for the difficult challenge. Since Montreal-1976 competition, the delegations from this piece of the Caribbean have won five or more gold medals, except in Beijing-2008, when with three they achieved 19th place, remaining among the first twenty nations.

Furthermore, in the last five editions, representations with that number of gold medals have secured a place in that prominent space, among more than 200 delegations.

But Cuba, in addition to going for a new feat, could also achieve several standards in Paris-2024. Let's see what our heroes and heroines can do in the City of Light.

THE CUBAN EXPECTATIONS IN PARIS-2024

Mijaín López is after a feat from another galaxy, five gold medals in a row, in a combat sport. Nobody has done it so far.

It could reach the 85 gold medals, today it has 84.

It would have the possibility of reaching, in total, its 240th medal, today it has 235.

It has a greater chance of winning its first champion in sprint canoeing.

Boxing, with two gold medals, would reach its 80th podium.

If the wrestling obtains a gold metal, it would be its eighth consecutive Games with victories.

Cuba is aiming to be among the top 20, for the twelfth consecutive time.

It could retain its 16th place in the historical medal table of the Games, from Athens-1896 to Tokyo-2020, today it has 84 gold, 69 silver, 82 bronze and a total of 235.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff