London 2012: Cuba,
the best in Latin America
CUBA won the most medals among Latin American and
Caribbean countries in the 30th Olympic Summer Games,
though Jamaica, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican
Republic, Guatemala, Venezuela and Mexico put on
brilliant performances in London as well, leading to
high hopes for the next time around, the first
Olympics to be held in South America, Río de Janeiro
2016.
Cuba (placing 16th in the London medal count)
regained the lead in Latin American medals after
being replaced by Brazil in Beijing 2008, with five
gold medals, two from boxers Robeisy Ramírez and
Roniel Iglesias. Cuban boxing, which did not win a
single title four years ago, recovered the prestige
it has always enjoyed, as one of the best schools on
the planet.
The Cuban delegation was left without gold medals
in athletics, sadly disappointed by the injury of
Olympic champion and world record holder Dayron
Robles, in the 110-meter hurdles.
In addition to the five gold, Cuba won three
silver medals and six bronze. Jamaica came in just
behind Cuba, with Usain Bolt and a team of excellent
runners, both male and female, putting on a grand
show.
Jamaica finished 18th in the medal count (12
medals total, four of each), thanks mostly to Bolt’s
performance, with the double three, as his
phenomenal three gold medals in two Olympics, has
been dubbed. (100m, 200m and 4x100m relay).
Usain Bolt happily took on the role of living
legend, never missing the opportunity to joke or
show off his eccentricities, with the charisma which
made him one of the most popular figures of the
Games – in addition to setting a world record.
Brazil, 22nd in the international medal count,
came in third among Latin American countries, but
short of its high hopes.
Brazilian athletes won 17 medals, three gold,
which represents little progress as compared to the
15 won in Beijing and less than the 20 set as a
goal.
The country’s national secretary of high
performance sports, Ricardo Leyser, anticipates that
the country should be able to win 25 to 30 in 2016,
to place among the Top 10 in the medal count. The
London Games allowed for a small step in that
direction.
Their setbacks garnered as much attention as
their victories, especially the men’s volleyball
loss to Russia in the final.
The country’s biggest disappointment was in
football, which, on the other hand, provided Mexico,
the winners, with the most satisfaction.
Neymar couldn’t match the artillery of Oribe
Peralta and the tricolor team won its first football
gold in Olympic history, 2-1, in Wembley Stadium.
Mexico came away with a total of seven medals,
three silvers and three bronzes along with the
football gold. Diver Paola Espinosa joined the
exclusive club of Mexican athletes who have won
medals in consecutive Olympic Games, taking silver
in the 10-meter platform synchronized diving event,
with Alejandra Orozco.
Other Latin American countries which had their
best Olympic performances ever included Colombia,
with eight medals, one gold, thanks to Mariana Pajón
in BMX cycling.
Pajón joined weight-lifter María Isabel Urrutia,
Sydney 2000 champion, as the only Colombians to have
won Olympic gold medals.
The Dominican Republic gave the world an image
which will be long remembered in Olympic lore, a
tearful Félix Sánchez, winning the gold medal in the
400-meter hurdles, at almost 35 years of age.
Sánchez added this gold to his first, won in
Athens 2004, to become the oldest athlete to win an
Olympic race.
If Sánchez represents his country’s sporting
history, the present and the future of athletics
there lies with Luguelín Santos. The 18-year-old
speedster won a silver medal in the 400 meters in
his first Olympic appearance.
"One gold and one silver is historic for our
sport and marvelous for our country,"
Sánchez told the press.
"Baseball is our national sport, but we have many
athletes training hard now, we have a bright
future," he said.
Venezuela was pleased with fencer Rubén Limardo’s
gold medal, the country’s first in 44 years, since
boxer Francisco "Morochito" Rodríguez won his in
Mexico 1968.
Argentina was another Latin American country to
win a gold in London, thanks to Sebastián
Crismanich, in tae kwon do.
In all, the Argentine delegation won four medals,
among them the silver won by the women’s field
hockey team and Juan Martín del Potro’s hard-won
bronze in tennis.
Jaime Espinal won Puerto Rico a silver in
Greco-Roman wrestling and Javier Culson, a bronze,
in the 400-meter hurdles.
Guatemala won its first medal ever, with Erik
Barrondo taking the silver in the 20 kilometer walk.
The athlete reported that he had to buy his parents
a television so they could watch the race, the
biggest investment of his life.
"This is the greatest blessing life has given
me," Barrondo said, with the medal hanging on his
chest, "It’s a great joy for a country which has
suffered so much, but has dreamed a great deal, as
well."
The United States once again won the games with a
total of 104 medals, while Canada took home 18, one
gold. • (SE)
(RECUADRO)
MEDAL COUNT
Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
1. United States 46 29 29 104
2. China 38 27 22 87
3. United Kingdom 29 17 19 65
4. Russia 24 25 33 82
5. South Korea 13 8 7 28
6. Germany 11 19 14 44
7. France 11 11 12 34
8. Italy 8 9 11 28
9. Hungary 8 4 5 17
10. Australia 7 16 12 35
11. Japan 7 14 17 38
12. Kazakhstan 7 1 5 13
13. Holland 6 6 8 20
14. Ukraine 6 5 9 20
15. New Zealand 6 2 5 13
