Host Mexico Topples Cuba from Top of Standings in CAC Games

Cuba returned to second place in the medal standings of the 22nd Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz 2014.

The Cuban delegation on Wednesday won five gold, eight silver and six bronze medals, for a total of 184 medals ( 82-52-50); while Mexico (88-67-86) took the lead again by nations and Colombia comes third ( 55-58-60).

Cuba Gets Five Gold Medals in CAC Games

A harvest of four titles in track and field events and a gold medal in Greco Roman wrestling stood out in Cuban's performance on Wednesday at the 22nd Central American and Caribbean Games Veracruz 2014.

Wrestler Mijaín Lopez, two-times Olympic champion and five-time world champion, was one of those who climbed to the top of the podium, with his win in the 130 kg division.

Lopez won the crown and didn't have to fight in the final because his opponent, Dominican Ramon Garcia, suffered an injury.

Women of freestyle wrestling were included in the finals, but Yusneylys Guzman (48) and Yakelin Stornell (58) had to settle for silver medals.

In athletics, Cuba won gold and silver medals in men's hammer throw through Roberto Janet and Reinier Mejias, respectively.

Janet secured the first place with a throw of 74.11 meters, beating his compatriot Mejias (71.81), while the bronze medal went to the Costa Rican Roberto Sawyers (70.66).

Denia Caballero gave Cuba another title in athletics by winning the women's discus final.

Caballero won the golden medal on her third attempt, where she reached 64.47 meters, a new record that exceeded the longstanding mark of 63.76 imposed by the also Cuban María Cristina Betancourt, in 1982 games in Havana.

Cuban Yaime Pérez (62.42) and Colombian Johana Marcela Martinez (56.27) finished second and third, respectively.

The Cuban delegation also made the one-two in the 400 meters, in both sexes.

Lisneidys Veitía achieved her season best, 51.72 seconds, and was followed by teammate Daisiuramis Bonne (52.49) and Colombian Yenifer Padilla (52.95), respectively.

Raidel Acea climbed to the top of the podium with a time of 45.36 seconds to beat teammate Yoandys Alberto Lescay (45.56) and Venezuelan Alberth Bravo (45.82).

Four Cubans who compete in badminton singles won their matches, including Osleni Guerrero, with serious hopes to win the gold medal in men´s event.

Yansy Duquesne finished second in the hoop event of artistic gymnastics with a score of 13,717 units.

Duquesne was only overcome in the podium by the Mexican Ruth Castillo (15,633); as the bronze medal went to Colombian Lina Marcela Dussán (12,833).

In the boxing semifinals, the five contestants from Cuba earned their ticket to the finals; these are the cases of Yosbany Veitía (52 kilograms), Lazaro Alvarez (60), Roniel Iglesias (69), Julio Cesar La Cruz (81) and Yohandi Toirac ( +91). They all have secured silver.

The Cuban women softball team reached a second win in the tournament after defeating 2-0 the Dominican Republic. Men´s water polo beat 16-4 Trinidad and Tobago, although the women team lost 7-14 to Venezuela.

In beach volleyball, the two Cuban couples debuted with easy victories; the women defeated the US Virgin Islands by a score of 2 to 0; while the men beat Aruba by the same score.

Finally, men's handball won a bronze medal after beating Mexico 32-22 ; while the men´s basketball team lost 72-83 to Puerto Rico, and men´s volleyball squad defeated Venezuela by a score of 3 to zero.

Decathlon

Cuban decathlete Yordanis Garcia came for the scepter to the 22nd Central American and Caribbean Games and conquered it with a total of 7, 854 points, a figure which could have been better without the adverse weather conditions on Tuesday.

“We are satisfied after all because we made the one-two, ” Garcia said shortly before the awards ceremony, where his teammate Jose Angel Mendieta received the silver medal with 7, 517 points.

“I actually like to feel more pressure, greater rivalry, but here it is more important to win these medals, and it was nice to participate in the event along with Mendieta, because we help each other,” he said.

He added that what happened in this city allows him to have a happy end of the year, where he also finished third in the Combined Events Circuit. He is already motivated to face the next season's challenges, as he wants to be among the first five in the World Championship and win the Pan American Games in Toronto.