Cuban shooters know most of their rivals in Tokyo

Havana, June 4 (RHC)-- The five Cuban shooters qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games already know most of their opponents, after the last event in which places were awarded and the delivery of invitations by the international federation (ISSF).

Fusilier Eglys de la Cruz and pistol shooters Jorge Grau, Leuris Pupo, Jorge Félix Álvarez and Laina Pérez, who are in a preparation base in Spain, can analyze the main opponents in each specialty, when only 18 places are still to be decided.

After the tickets awarded for the results in the European Championship held in Osijek, Croatia, which concludes on June 6, plus the invitations issued in each modality, 342 of the 360 tickets available in the 15 Olympic events to be held at the Asaka Shooting Range have already been awarded.

Nine athletes remain for each gender, of which five will be from the host country and another six will enter through wild cards.

In the European competition, only the only access in the 25m rapid fire pistol remains to be granted, for which the London 2012 Olympic champion, Pupo, and Álvarez, starter of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, have qualified.

In that specialty, although the initial registration is 26, the list could grow if any other air pistol qualifier wants to try his luck against the "monsters" of rapid fire.

For example, in Rio de Janeiro 2016 there were 26 in the firing line and the winner was the German Christian Reitz, followed by the French Jean Quiquampoix and the Chinese Yuehong Li; another Chinese, Fusheng Zhang, was fourth; Pupo fifth and the Italian Ricardo Mazetti closed the finalist sextet.

Today, 23 shooters have their passports, among them these three Europeans and the Cuban. An African, the one chosen in Osijek and a Japanese have yet to join them. This will complete the 26 who by quota are sure to settle the medals in Asaka, during the penultimate final on August 2.

Eglys, sure in the rifle three positions 50 meters, will also be in the air rifle 10 meters. Laina, with a place in the 10-meter air pistol individual and mixed team, together with Grau, will test her aim in that weapon with bullets at 25 meters.

After arriving in Las Gabias, Granada, the Antilleans have completed excellent training days and are preparing to carry out the first tests next week.