Cuba for its first gold medal at international weightlifting tournament

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 18 (ACN) Cuba could win its first gold medal this Friday at the 40th edition of the Manuel Suarez In Memoriam International Weightlifting Tournament, dominated by Colombia, a world power in weightlifting, by a wide margin.

Cuba's top weightlifter, three-time Rome 2020 World Cup champion Olfides Saez, will compete today, although his current category, 96 kilograms (kg) bodyweight, has a very high level in the traditional competition in Havana.

Yasunay Garrido and Melisa Aguilera in 76 kg, Yaneisy Meriño and Taila Cesar in 85 and Davian Menendez and Juan Carlos Zaldivar in 102 will also compete in this fourth and penultimate day.

Colombia continued its leadership on Thursday, with titles and records for the women's and men's event, in a day in which Cuba won bronze medals with Regla Morales (71) and Edisnel Corrales (81).

Cuba also accumulated six silver medals, in a competition with weightlifters from 10 countries and a qualifier for the Central American and Caribbean Games of San Salvador 2023.