Parathlete Yunier Fernandez debuts at Paralympic Games

Havana, August 26 (RHC)-- Paralympian Yunier Fernandez and weightlifter Leydi Rodriguez made their Cuban debuts at the 16th Paralympic Games in Tokyo on Thursday.

Rodriguez failed with 92 kilograms in her first two attempts, nor with the 93 with which she tried to close her performance in the Japanese event.

"I always start with a weight I feel comfortable with and work my way up. Today was not my day, although I entered the competition with strength", said Leydi, saddened in the hall of the international forum of this city.

Her performance placed her in the basement of the 41 kg division, in competition with 10 competitors from the same number of nations. The Granmense had finished sixth five years ago in Rio de Janeiro 2016, with a weight of 80 kg.

"She couldn't technically with a weight she had recently lifted, but the claws were not lacking in the attempts. Congratulations anyway," commented on Twitter the head of the Cuban mission here Raúl Fornés Valenciano.

China's Guo Linglin won the title with world and Paralympic records of 109 kg, achieved in her fourth and last attempt, with the medal already in her pocket.

The queen was followed by Widiasih Ni Nengah (INA) with 98 kg and Venezuela's Clara S. Monasterio Fuentes (97 kg).

During Cuba's debut day, tennis player Yunier Fernandez lost in his first outing to Korea's Hyeon Uk Kim in three identical sets of 11-9.

In the end, Cuban coaches preferred to reserve cyclist Damian Lopez Alfonso for the road race scheduled for September 2. That is why he was not registered for the 3,000 meters individual pursuit, scheduled for this Thursday.

On Friday, Cuban sprinter Leinier Savón, double Paralympic champion in Rio de Janeiro 2016, will make his debut. Savón will compete in the 100-meter race, with which the Cuban parathletics team will start its activities.

The XVI Games will be attended by 4,403 athletes, 2,550 men and 1,853 women, who will compete in 539 events in 22 sports. 

At the time of writing, Austria dominated the medal table with a total of six gold, one silver and three bronze medals, followed by China (6-1-2), Ukraine (1-5-2) and Great Britain (1-5-1).