INTERVIEW | Cuban Shooting After Pupo

The best Cuban shooter of all time, pistol shooter Leuris Pupo, is no longer part of the discipline's national preselection team, but the work has not stopped.

Having led the pistol technical team since 2009, and previously in the 1990s, Torres has been the architect of the best results in rapid-fire pistol, specifically Pupo's two Olympic medals, and many more at the Central American and Caribbean Games, Pan American Games, and even World Cups.

Therefore, his voice is more than qualified to speak about Cuban shooting in general, not just his beloved specialty, which has just lost its standard-bearer—the London 2012 champion and Tokyo 2020 silver medalist in the 25-meter rapid-fire pistol.

The Legacy of a Champion

"Officially, Pupo has not retired yet, but he is already training as a coach because his body was asking for a change, after seven Olympic cycles with the physical and mental wear and tear that entails. At some point, we will have to organize a retirement worthy of him," he comments about his protégé.

How do you view the next generation?

"There is a group of young shooters who are starting out; we see talent and dedication. Regardless of the methodology used, this specialty takes years of training to reach the necessary specialization, because mastery is acquired gradually."

Jorge Félix Álvarez now remains as the main figure...

"Now the most experienced is Jorge Félix, with great talent and technical capacity. I have always said that his technique is better than Pupo's; it's just that greater experience, mental power, and concentration made Pupo the best shooter in Cuban history."

Looking Ahead to the Central American Games

We have the immediate target of next year's Central American Games. How is the preparation going?

"In the Central American qualifier, we achieved 20 of the 21 possible spots; we only missed one in the air pistol. In the previous cycle, we qualified 17 and had good results in El Salvador, so despite the circumstances, we continue to develop."

Torres is, in particular, one of the main innovators in the Cuban sports system, with significant contributions regarding weaponry and targets to supply the lack of inputs.

That is why he trusts that, despite all the difficulties, Cuban shooting will continue to bring joy even after Pupo.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff