Cuba's Yarisleidis Cirilo continues to dazzle in world canoeing

Havana, August 24 (RHC) - Yarisleidis Cirilo continues to shine in canoeing.   This Thursday she qualified for the final of the C2 500m at the Duisburg World Championships, teaming up with a 17-year-old girl with whom she started rowing just a few months ago.

After qualifying on Wednesday with the best time of all the competitors for the semifinal of the C1 200m, Cirilo and the young Yinnoli Lopez were second this Thursday in their semifinal series.

Making their debut in international competitions, the Cuban duo clocked 1.54.495min, behind China's Shixiao and Mengyr (1.52.250) and will compete for the medals on Saturday.

On Wednesday in the C1 200m Cirilo (21 years old) qualified for Friday's semifinals with the best time among all the contestants (45.29 sec).

Born in Baracoa (far east of Cuba in the province of Guantanamo), Cuba's best athlete last year remains among the elite and threatens to continue adding triumphs to her record.

In the last two years she has won many medals in the international context, teaming up with the also newcomer Katerine Nuevo (currently suspended for indiscipline).

Last year at the Dartmouth World Cup (Canada), the duo made history by winning the first title for Cuban women's canoeing at the world championships, in the C2 200m.

A year earlier, they had become the first Cuban boat to reach an Olympic final in Tokyo 2020 and in the Copenhagen World Cup they won the first medal in the history of that sport for women on the island, bronze in the C2 500m.

Cuban kayakers Daylén Rodríguez and Yurieni Guerra also had a productive day on Thursday, qualifying for the semifinals of the K2-500m by coming in sixth in their heat with 1:44.530 min.

The men's duo of Robert Benítez and Yan Carlos Samé failed to reach the semifinals, placing sixth in their heat with 1:35.562 min.

Olympian José Ramón Pelier also qualified to the semifinals in the C1 1000m.