14ymedio, Havana, 4 January 2024 — Cuban sports have said goodbye at this beginning of the year, in just three days, to three former figures in its history: former sprinter Osvaldo Lara, at 69 years old; former jumper Marcia Garbey, at 74; and coach Sigfredo Bandera, at 75.
On January 1st, sprinter Osvaldo Lara died, according to PlayOff Magazine. Lara was widely recognized for his sprinting and represented the Island at the Moscow Olympic Games in 1980.
Some of his best records were the silver medal in the 4×100 relay, with 38.36 seconds, in the Continental Cup held in Dusseldorf, Germany (1977); the 10.11 seconds in Medellín (Central American and Caribbean Games, 1978) in the 100 meter dash, and the 20.94 seconds in the 200 meter dash in Havana (Central American and Caribbean Games, 1982).
Lara participated in several international events between 1977 and 1986, including the Central American and Caribbean Championships, in Xalapa, Mexico (1977), and in Nassau, Bahamas (1985); and the Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela (1983).
Lara told the official newspaper, for example, that he only charged 700 pesos for one of the medals won in his y