U.S. Swimmer Receives Cuban Sports Award

U.S. long distance swimmer Diana Nyad has received in Havana the Order of Sporting Merit granted by the State Council of the Republic of Cuba.

Cristian Jimenez, president of the Cuban Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation, INDER, decorated this weekend Nyad, the first person to cross the Straits of Florida without fins, wet suit and protective cage, swimming between Cuba and the United States.

At the ceremony of homage, Miguel Diaz-Canel, first vice president of the Caribbean nation, highlighted the feat after 4 failed attempts in 1978, 2011 and two in 2012.

Those upholding their dreams with noble purposes are able to make them come true, said the official, before remembering other feats achieved by Nyad like swimming around Manhattan Island, United States, for more than seven hours in 1975.

He also praised the strength of will, determination, perseverance and decisiveness the athlete to overcome an obstacle that seemed insurmountable and write a new chapter in the history of sports. These principles are not foreign to us, are similar to those that have guided the Cuban people over its history: courage, strength, unity, perseverance, confidence and optimism, said Cuban First Vice President.

Accompanied by members of his team, Nyad, visibly moved by the emotion, described this award as the most profound and precious received throughout her career because of the great respect and admiration she has for the Cuban people.
For me, it was very important to achieve the dream of linking two great countries, such as Cuba and the United States are stressed the honoree, who reached the coast of Florida on September 2nd last year, when she was 64, after swimming for 52 hours and 58 minutes.

In press conference after event, the swimmer acknowledged that the 2nd night of the 5th attempt was about to leave because she was very cold and felt her body did not give any more.

However, supported by a team of 39 professionals and especially her coach, regained strength and pace to achieve the feat. Now, her next goal is to walk across the United States, from California to Washington, in 2016, for 3 months, along with a million people as part of a campaign to fight obesity in your country.

'Then after we walk across the United States we will come here to walk across the island of Cuba with a large group of Cubans and Americans together as good neighbors and friends "said Nyad, considered one of the best swimmers in long distance story.

Before the feat achieved by Nyad, only the Australian Malroney Susie had swum the Straits of Florida, but protected with a cage against shark attacks in 1997.

Volleyball

The young men's team of Cuba will face off Finland today, in the 1st round of Group B corresponding to the World Volleyball Championship that takes place until September 21st in several cities in Poland.

According to the website of the tournament, the Cubans will open on Monday against the Finns, in Katowice, in the program for the B segment, which includes the Brazil-Germany and South Korea-Tunisia duels.

The following opponents of the Caribbean young squad will be the Germans, on Wednesday, the South Koreans on Friday, the Tunisians on Saturday to close against the Brazilians on Sunday.

After a general rest of 2 days, the 2nd preliminary round begins from sept. 10th-18th, with break on the 19th, followed by the semifinal and the final on the 20th and the 21st, respectively.

Today also will bump, but in Group C, Russia-Canada, Mexico and Bulgaria, and China-Egypt, in the city of Gdansk.

The Cuban team is formed by the opposing attackers Rolando Cepeda and Liván Osoria, the opposite Javier Jiménez, Osmany Uriarte, Abrahan Alfonso and Inovel Romero, as well as the central attackers Isbel Mesa, David Fiel and Felix Chapman.

Completing the Caribbean payroll the pins Leandro Macias and Ricardo Calvo, and libero Keibel Gutiérrez, all directed by head coach Rodolfo Sánchez.

At the opening date of August 30th, ran into Serbia and the host, in Group A, while on the 31st clashed Venezuela-Argentina and Cameroon-Australia, located in the capital Warsaw and Wroclaw, respectively, in which Polish, Argentines and Australians defeated 3-0 to the Serb, Venezuelans, and Cameroonians, in that order.

The challenges Iran-Italy, Bulgaria vs. the United States and Puerto Rico-France were also played on August 31st in Group D, based in the city of Krakow.

The victories were for Iranians, Americans and French, who defeated 3-1, 3-2 and 3-0 to the Italians, Belgians and Puerto Ricans, respectively.