All the members of the Cuban delegation ascended to the podium at the Edmonton 2022 Ibsa Pan American Judo Tournament in Edmonton, Canada.

Havana, December 13 (RHC)-- All the members of the Cuban delegation ascended to the podium at the Edmonton 2022 Ibsa Pan American Judo Tournament in Edmonton, Canada. 

José Manuel Romero (73 kg) and Yordani Fernández (+90 kg), of the J2 category (severe visual impairment), won titles for the Island. 

Fernandez climbed to the top of the podium after reaching fifth place in the Baku 2022 Ibsa World Judo Championships, held recently.

Romero did not attend that event because she tested positive for COVID-19, hence her crown has the merit of arriving without high-level training. 

Sheyla Hernández (+70 kg, J2), silver medalist in the aforementioned planetary competition, won in Edmonton a medal of the same color; and her teammate Ariagna Hechevarría (70 kg, J1-Blue) also reached the second place after missing the global competition due to covid-19.

Another absentee at Baku 2022 for the same reason, Dainielis Calunga (57 kg, J2), took a bronze medal, as did Jennys Garcia (60 kg, J1), Yonaldy Gonzalez (73 kg, J1) and Reinaldo Zamora (90 kg, J1).

"This is the result of a cohesive work to provide answers to the requirements of world judo, increasingly demanding and competitive," Senén Ramos Benítez, head coach of the Cuban squad, assured the JIT publication.

"The classification system is very complex and this performance helps a lot in the placement with a view to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. For example, Fernandez and Romero obtained 300 points each, which benefits them for their placement in the world ranking of this discipline. We can therefore affirm that the objectives were more than achieved," concluded Ramos Benítez.

On the other hand, the athlete Dalisdaivis Rodríguez, who was facing her last chance to achieve the medical-functional qualification, left the delegation, not fulfilling the commitment made with her country and team.