Those of Moscow 1980 became the most profitable, up to that moment, for our country
In the summer of 1980, Cuban hearts beat to the rhythm of Olympic glory. In the majestic city of Moscow, under the burning sun and the attentive gaze of the world, our athletes rose as true titans.
Never before had Cuba achieved so many medals, including gold ones. What was experienced, as we have been reflecting in this series, is having climbed one more step in the promotions of Cuban sport.
The harvest was 8 gold medals, 7 silver and 5 bronze for a total of 20.
These promotions materialized steadily after the Triumph of the Revolution in 1959, something very visible that is worth remembering: Tokyo 1964 (0-1-0=1); Mexico 1968 (0-4-0=4); Munich 1972 (3-1-4=8); Montreal 1976 (6-4-3=13).
The Cuban Olympic team, made up of 208 brave athletes (176 men and 32 women), faced colossal challenges in 19 sports disciplines. Despite political tensions and boycotts, these athletes demonstrated their skill and passion in each competition.
The eight champions
María Caridad Colón left her mark in athletics by winning the gold medal in the javelin throw with a throw of 68.40 meters, which made her the first Latin American woman who was able to climb to the highest point of an Olympic podium.
Boxer Teófilo Stevenson (over 81 kilogram division) won his third gold medal, having already been invincible before in Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976, in all cases as the flag bearer of the delegation.
The boxing thing did not stop there: Juan Bautista Hernández (54), Ángel Herrera (60), Andrés Aldama (67), Armando Martínez (71), and José Gómez (75) also finished champions.
Daniel Núñez demonstrated his strength in weightlifting by winning the 56 kilogram category, lifting 125 in the snatch, and 150.0 in the clean and jerk, for a total of 275.0, an Olympic and world record. He was the first Cuban Olympic champion in this discipline.
The silver seven
Silvio Leonard ran like the wind in the 100 meter dash, in which he clocked a time of 10.25 seconds.
Alejandro Casañas overcame obstacles in the 110 meter hurdles (13.40 seconds).
Hipólito Ramos defended the 48 kilogram category in boxing with honor, as did Adolfo Horta (57).
There were three who shone in judo: José Rodríguez Carbonell (60), Juan Ferrer Lahera (78) and Isaac Azcuy (86).
The five tanned
Luis Mariano Delís threw the discus with precision (66.32 meters).
José Aguilar fought bravely in boxing (63.5 kg), as did Ricardo Rojas (81).
Alberto Blanco (100), in weightlifting, lifted enough to also finish with bronze: 172.5 in snatch and 212.5 in clean and jerk, for a biathlon score of 385.0.
Roberto Castrillo aimed accurately in skeet shooting, and in the final he did so with 25-23 points.
***
Cuba, with its flag flying high and its athletes forging legends, placed fourth in the medal table. These achievements were not just numbers on a table, but symbols of sacrifice, passion and unity. The 1980 Moscow Olympic Games will forever resonate in the memory of a nation that once again dared to dream big.
: Cuban Records){kind=link}