ASUNCIÓN 2025: Divers Conclude with Bronze from the Platform

It was the final event, the one that brought the curtain down on diving at the II Junior Pan American Games, and the Cuban team refused to leave empty-handed.

Carlos Daniel Ramos and Bernaldo Arias, fully aware of the enormous challenge, delivered with the focus and composure the moment demanded and claimed the bronze medal with 350.07 points, a score similar to the one they achieved at the last Pan American Championship in Medellín, where the spots for this competition were decided.

They found the required synchronization in most of their dives, and that consistency opened the doors to the podium. As expected, the top steps were occupied by the Canadian pair with 413.46 points and the Mexican duo with 380.01.

“We are happy with this closing. They did very well and we will continue working to achieve more victories,” said national commissioner Milagros González.

Her joy is shared by the rest of the delegation, which will return home with two other medals in their luggage, including the gold won by Frank Abel Rosales in the one-meter springboard.

The other prize, also a bronze, went to Ramos in the individual platform event, considered by many the highest-level competition held at the Olympic Aquatic Center.

“In fact, we saw very good performances in almost all events. We are satisfied because we also managed to have the girls advance to several finals, even though they are very young and lack competitive experience,” noted head coach Hugo Pérez de Corcho.

The coach was referring to the efforts of 15-year-olds Cinthya Cortina, Anais Negret, and Melany Zaldívar, along with Martha Castañeda, the most experienced of the group at only 18.

The competition demonstrated that Cuba has the talent needed to build for the medium and long term, although it also made clear that exposure to the best in the world is essential. In diving, competitive experience is critical to achieving the concentration required for success.

Undoubtedly, the immediate future rests in athletes like Frank Abel, Cuba’s standout performer, although he leaves the tournament with mixed feelings. On one hand, he celebrates the joy of his gold medal, but it contrasts with his tenth-place finish in the three-meter springboard.

Mistakes at this level come at a very high cost, a reality he and his coach, Daylet Valdés, know well. Strengthening his mental resilience and finding strategies to overcome the most demanding moments remain as pending tasks.

In the end, only six countries reached the diving medal table. Mexico led the standings with four golds, six silvers, and two bronzes, followed by the United States with 3-2-2, Canada with 2-1-2, and Cuba with 1-0-2.