Historic gold for Cuba in Halifax 2022 Canoe World Championship

Havana, August 8 (RHC)-- Yarisleidis Cirilo and Katherin Nuevo won for Cuba on Saturday a historic title in the 200-meter C2 during the penultimate date of the Halifax 2022 World Canoe Sprint Canoe Championships, in Canada.

On Banook Lake, Cirilo and Nuevo crossed the finish line in 45.09 seconds, to leave behind China's Shuai Changwen and Lin Wenjun (45.24), and Hungary's Bianka Nagy and Giada Bragato (47.59). 

Placing fourth through ninth were boats from Canada, Germany, Moldova, the United States, Poland and Chile. That result vindicated the Caribbean women, who placed last for nine canoes in the C2-500 meters.

The podium in that event was won by China's Mengya Sun and Shixiao Xu (2:01.26 min), Ukraine's Anastasiia Chetverikova and Liudmyla Luzan (2:03.32), and Hungary's Nagy and Bragato (2:04.70). The Cubans were given as favorites to fight for medals, but they made that distance in 2:09.71 minutes.  

The rebound of Cirilo and Nuevo in the C2-200 says a lot about the drive and determination of Nelson Perales' students, who became the first Cuban representatives to win a title in these competitions.