Special Olympics

Havana, Oct 13 (ACN) Several medals, including eight golds, marked the closing of the successful participation of Cubans in the IV Special Olympics Latin American Games Asunción 2024, which concluded in Paraguay.

Naylan Rodríguez and Lilisbet Domínguez were in charge of shining in rhythmic gymnastics, especially the former, being considered the queen of that sport. 

Together they won five gold medals, three silver medals, and one bronze medal, to round off Friday's good day, in which runners once again stood out in athletics.

Leosdeny Rodríguez repeated her 800 meters title in the 1,500 meters, while her teammates Lismay Osorio and Zajari Duvergel also celebrated the 1-2 in the women's race of the same distance.

The final point was the victory in the 4x100-meter relay, which completed the harvest of 10 gold and three silver medals won by the exponents of the king of sports.

Cuba attended the multisport event with 13 competitors, who also played a leading role in power lifting and table tennis.

By the end of the event, the group had won 16 gold medals, 13 silver medals, and five bronze medals, a performance praised from the venue by the directors in charge of the small delegation, according to the sports publication Jit.

Within the framework of the competition, there were spaces for workshops and educational meetings, as part of several actions aimed at promoting the social inclusion of people with disabilities.

This is one of the main founding objectives of the Special Olympics movement, which brings together competitors with intellectual disabilities. 

Cuba also stood out by presenting its experiences in these matters during the International Development Forum, whose sessions brought together ministers of sports, health and culture from all over Latin America.