The newly formed Cuban duo of Yarisleidis Cirilo and Yinnoli López took sixth place in the C2 500m at the World Canoe Championships in Duisburg (Germany) and qualified for Paris-2024.

Havana, August 26 (RHC) - The newly formed Cuban duo of Yarisleidis Cirilo and Yinnoli López took sixth place in the C2 500m at the World Canoe Championships in Duisburg (Germany) and qualified for Paris-2024.

In just their first major international competition, the Cubans clocked 1.56.785 min in the half-kilometer, to finish sixth, in a final dominated by the Chinese pair of Shixiao and Mengya (1.52.775).

The top eight of the nine boats competing in Final A qualified for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

The Cirilo-López duo began paddling just two months ago, after the Cuban authorities sanctioned Katerine Nuevo for indiscipline, with whom Cirilo made history in the island's canoeing by winning the first gold medal in world championships and reaching her first Olympic final in Tokyo-2020.

Now in Duisburg, the 21-year-old Cirilo had impressively won gold in the single-seater canoe (C-1) 200 meters to also punch her Olympic ticket.

After her remarkable triumph, Cirilo had words of praise for her coach, Nelson Perales, and dedicated her triumph to the people of Cuba.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel congratulated the athlete on social networks in a message from Mozambique.

"Gold for #Cuba! Yarisleidis Cirilo is crowned in World Canoeing Championship. World champion for the second time at only 21 years old and just qualified to #Paris2024. From Mozambique, a hug!", Díaz-Canel wrote in his message.

In another event with Cuban presence this Saturday at the World Cup, José Ramón Pelier dominated the B final in the C1 1000m - he finished tenth in the world -, with a time of 3.49.456 minutes.