14ymedio, Havana, March 11, 2024 –Iván Silva, Andy Granda and Idalys Ortiz avoided a debacle for Cuban judo at the Grand Prix Austria 2024, which ended this Sunday. The gold medals in the 90 kg/ 198 lb category, silver in the 100 kg/221 lb, and bronze in the 78 kg/172 lb obtained by these athletes, in this respective order, give them enough possibilities in the rankings to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
However, there were athletes who “lost the possibility of advancing.” According to Jit, a government-run sports newspaper, they could not “maintain the status with which they came to the contest.” Magdiel Estrada (in the 73 kg/161 lb category) was one of those cited by the media that missed his opportunity to qualify. His participation in Paris depends on the invitation granted by the International Olympic Committee and the International Judo Federation.
Orlando Polanco (66 kg/146 lb) was another of the Cuban competitors who, failing to score points, descended in the qualifying ranking. The possibilities for this judoka depend on future events. According to the same digital media, the “instability” of Idelannis Gómez (70 kg/154 lb) led her to being in 47th place, with little chance of winning a ticket to the Olympic Games.
This sport, which has won 37 Olympic medals for the Island – 6 golds, 15 silvers and 16 bronzes – has also been impacted by defections. Judo has its best exponent in Idalys Ortiz. The native of Artemis reigns in the 78 kg/172 lb category with the bronze medal that she won at the 2008 Olympi