Horta: Mijaín did not get the gold medal in his first Olympic Games and still he is a legend

It was a very short stint for Cuban boxer Saidel Horta at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as he was defeated in his first bout, especially as a result of a cut on one of his eyebrows, but having qualified for the greatest event of sports is something huge.

After competing in the Night of Champions of the International Boxing Association (IBA), the Cienfuegos native declared that those days in Paris were special for him.

There, in the 57 kg division, he could not succeed in his first bout against Kyrgyz Munarbek Seiitbek, despite coming out ahead in the first round. He narrowly lost the second, when he changed his tactical plan, and just after the third round began, the referee stopped the bout due to the blood coming out of his face after an involuntary clash of heads. The rules dictate that it should be an individual vote, but common sense makes the judges lean towards the one who is in a position to move forward, because a wound like that reopens in the next fight and would slow down another boxer who has a chance of moving forward. In fact, Seiitbek came to dispute the title, while Saidel would not have made it to the next bout either because of that wound.

«You learn more from one defeat than from 100 victories, that is what sport is about, overcoming adversity. Sometimes one's first medal is just reaching the Olympic Games. Wrestler Mijaín López is a great example that one can always get up, because he lost in his first Olympics and ended up being a five-time champion. He is a great athlete to follow and his example and discipline show the way.

«In Paris, I lived a great experience. The tactical plan sometimes does not work out for us because the opponent also has his own. At times, I didn't get what we had prepared with the coaches, but my corner is the best in the world. They have a long track record and they are the ones who know the most about this. I am always grateful to them, even if sometimes it doesn't go as we planned."

Regarding his bout on Tuesday against Russian Ruslan Belousov, whom he defeated unanimously, he commented that at times he could not display his boxing.

"The style of the Cuban School is based on going in and out, not falling into those constant grips, but I tried my plan to prevail to take the victory."

During the bout, that old wound reopened.

"It's giving me quite a few headaches, but now I'm going to take a few days off. I have to strengthen my skin. We're working on that with aloe to see if it gets a little stronger and tougher. I really try to forget about that, to focus on the fight and hold on like a warrior as long as they allow me to continue fighting.

"I feel physically prepared very well. In this case, the difficulty was more mental and psychological, because I had already prepared for the Games. It's great to feel that adrenaline, and being able to win in front of my people is the best."

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff