By Orlando González Cruz.

Havana, February 25 (RHC)-- The seventh edition of the Havana Triathlon was presented this morning at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. The competition will take place this Sunday, February 26, starting at the Marina Hemingway at 7:00 am and finishing at the emblematic hotel.

The event was attended by several personalities, including the president of the Cuban Federation of this sport, Alejandro Puerto, the Spanish ambassador to Cuba, Angel Martin, as well as directors of the specialty in the Iberian nation and the Hotel Nacional.

Speaking to Radio Habana Cuba (RHC), the head of the Spanish diplomatic mission explained:   "The support has been coming for a long time now. Since 2015, the embassy and the ambassador who was at that time supported the triathlon. This year is very important, we took it up again after the pandemic, it is starting again. The triathlon supports many concepts that we work with Cuba, such as: sports, health and art. Next year, the embassy will do everything possible to ensure that the Havana Triathlon continues to grow stronger.

For his part, Puerto commented to us:

"For us it is a great satisfaction to rescue the Havana Triathlon after the years of pandemic; it is very important for our athletes and for the federation. It brings together the whole triathlon family, members of the national team and athletes from the provinces. For us, the Havana Triathlon is of vital importance, as it awards points for the world ranking".

When asked for an assessment of the performance of the country's best triathlete, Leslie Amant, in the Pan American Cup of La Guaira 2023 in Venezuela, he told us:

"Leslie's performance was very important. There were athletes with better positions in the ranking and who compete more frequently than her, she was among the leaders in swimming and cycling and it was the race that decided. She advanced in the ranking, which allows her to be enjoying at this moment the flag position, with a view to the Olympic Games in Paris 2024".

On the support of the Spanish Triathlon Federation and the embassy of the European country, he expressed:

"This is a family, the support is total, it has been very important and we have taken many experiences from them who, along with Mexico, are among the strongest in the preparation of events of this type".

Several renowned artists on the largest island of the Caribbean, belonging to the José Martí Cultural Society, donated works to entertain the winning athletes. In this regard, the director commented:

"It is something that distinguishes this event and makes a difference, it is the union of culture and sport. The athletes have expressed their satisfaction at being able to take home a piece by a famous Cuban artist," he concluded.

Leslie Amat and Alejandro Rodríguez, main figures of this sport in Cuba, will be looking for a good performance in the competition tomorrow. Along with the incentive of winning at home, there is the possibility of scoring points for the world ranking of the specialty, since the competition is recognized as an official event in the calendar of the International Triathlon Federation (ITU).