The delegation that represented Cuba at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games returns to the homeland with the satisfaction of having competed with dignity and adherence to the values of our sport, inspired by the legacy of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro and the commitment to give their all in every outing, even if the results did not always leave the desired results.

. She is also grateful for the many expressions of support received from the island, where the people to whom we are indebted followed with interest what happened during these intense and very demanding days, with the main leaders of the Revolution keeping a close eye on every detail.

. In this regard, we are honoured to highlight the congratulatory message issued by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz on the coronation of our standard bearer Mijaín López, and the telephone conversations held by the First Secretary of the Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, with the fighter himself and other main protagonists of what happened here, where the attention of our diplomatic mission was also key and the Casa Yo Soy Cuba in Tremblay-en-France became a space open to the truth of our country.

. We were also aware of the declarations of many other comrades, to which were added innumerable expressions of support, arriving by different means and also from other countries, always marked by affection and respect for those who turned them into additional motivations for the battle, undertaken by 61 athletes from 16 sports.

. With a presence in 53 of the 329 events, the conquest of two gold medals, one silver and six bronze placed Cuba in 32nd place by country, which meant not satisfying the goal of a place in the top 20, but even though a more detailed analysis remains to be done, it is important to confirm that there was no triumphalism in this aspiration.

. As we have stated in different spaces, we took it on, aware that making it a reality would require an almost perfect response from our main candidates to be crowned, and the fact that only one of them was left without a medal demonstrates the value of the studies from which it emerged.

. Also along these lines, it is appropriate to affirm that even though this is a lower number than that achieved for Tokyo 2020, when there were 69, to have 61 qualifiers was once again meritorious for a country without the possibilities of the great powers and impacted by the intensification of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States government.

. This multiplies the significance of the consecration with which athletes and coaches overcame limitations to make the most of the preparation, backed by the political will associated with the role assigned to sport in our country, the multiplication of alliances in the field of science and innovation, and the contribution of supportive friends who guaranteed important stays in several French locations.

. Similarly, without closing the door on the qualification process, work was done on a differentiated basis at the level of sports and strategic figures, in accordance with the resources available, and medical-psychological care, anti-doping control and the study of opponents were consolidated, also backed up by the reality experienced during these days.

. Our delegation, made up entirely of exponents of the Cuban sports system, behaved ethically, in accordance with fair play, discipline, respect for opponents and a spirit of fraternal exchange, and received encouraging expressions of sympathy on all stages, for which we are grateful with healthy pride, motivated by the international prestige of the Revolution.

. In terms of results, a logical and well-deserved ovation for the great Mijaín, a classic style wrestler who allowed us to share a unique moment with his five titles on these stages.

. We applaud the young boxer Erislandy Álvarez, protagonist of an exciting golden debut, as well as the rest of the medallists, meaning that Yusneylis Guzmán (silver) and Yarisleidis Cirilo (bronze) debuted on the podium for our wrestlers and canoeists, respectively.

. Arlen López (bronze) became the island’s second boxer to medal in three divisions, Luis Alberto Orta (bronze) brought to four the number of wrestlers with more than one medal at this level, Rafael Alba (bronze) went down in the books as our first double Olympic medallist taekwondoka and Gabriel Rosillo (bronze) and Milaimy Marín (bronze) completed the decisive contribution of the wrestlers, with the latter extending the role of the women, who overall had three podium finishes.

. Our recognition goes to those who were not part of that vanguard, but who lived up to expectations, even with historic personal performances. And for undisputed glories such as the judo player Idalys Ortiz and the boxer Julio César La Cruz, who have now been dismissed without a medal.

. We are also accompanied by the dissatisfaction generated by below-expected performances, beyond the failure to win medals, particularly in sports with figures capable of achieving them.

. We bid farewell to an extremely demanding event, confirming phenomena such as nationalisations based on results, refereeing inconsistencies and performances forged under the protection of material and human resources foreign to the countries of origin of their protagonists, a context in which the blocked, attacked and slandered Cuba, without a single imported athlete or coach in its ranks, once again led Central America and the Caribbean, came fourth in the Americas and wrote pages unknown to more than a few developed countries.

. That is why, just hours before the 98th anniversary of his birth, we evoke with special affection Fidel, creator and promoter of a sports system within the reach of all, we reiterate our praise for our athletes and we assume our disagreements and weaknesses from the commitment of knowing that we are the continuators of his work.