Cuban Judokas Training in Europe

Men and women Cuban judo teams are training in Europe as part of the preparation for the Pan American Games this July in Toronto, Canada, where they will compete with full teams.

William Rosquet, director of the arbitration commission of the Cuban Judo Federation, said the men team is in Romania, where they competed last weekend at the Bucharest Open, while the women are in France.

In the Romanian city, the Cuban squad finished second by countries with a gold medal won by 81 kg Ivan Silva, two silver, by Asley González (90kg) and Jose Armenteros (100kg).

According to the competitive program before Toronto, the Cuban men and women will participate in El Salvador Open on June 27th and 28th.

Referring to the preparation of both teams, Rosquet explained that everything goes as planned, so he expects good results in the Canadian multi-sport event, in which Cuba is expected to win 14 medals.

Cuban Athletes Participate in Rome Diamond League Meeting

The fourth stop of the Athletics Diamond League will be held in Rome, Italy, and the Cuban triple jumper Pedro Pablo Pichardo will be one of the great attractions.

Pichardo, leader of the season in the men's triple jump (18.08 meters), third best record in history, will seek his second victory in this strong athletic contest, after the win achieved in the opening of this competition in Doha, Qatar.

On that occasion, the representative of Cuba, world runner-up champ in Moscow 2013, reached 18.06 m, a result he surpassed in two centimeters on May 28th at the closing date of the Barrientos Memorial Cup at Havana's Panamericano Stadium.

This record by the Cuban is only overcome by the world record holder British Jonathan Edwards (18.29) and American Kenny Harrison (18.09).
The also Cuban triple jumper Ernesto Revé and the discus throwers Yaimé Caballero and Denia Perez will also compete in Roman soil.
Caballero achieved a few days ago in Havana the season second best result (69.51 meters) in the women's discus throw, event dominated by the Olympic winner Croat Sandra Perkovic (70.08), so this could be an interesting match to follow between them.

The Diamond League awards four points to the winners in each event; while the silver medalists earn two units and those finishing third win only one point, though in the tournaments of Zurich, Switzerland; and Brussels, Belgium, to be held in September, the score will be doubled.

Baseball

Yulieski Gourriel has been officially excluded from the Cuban baseball pre-selection training to participate in the upcoming Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, according to baseball director Heriberto Suárez.

Suarez said: “Yulieski didn't show up when he was notified to join a tournament in Canada and the bilateral games with the United States, and that's why he was replaced by Rudy Reyes.”

A group of 35 baseball players have been training at the Latinoamericano Stadium since May 25th to join the Cuban team. But only 24 will travel to the Pan American Games in Toronto.