Youth Olympiad

Cuban rower Orlando Sotolongo has qualified for the semifinals of the Youth Olympics, to be held on Tuesday in the city of Nanjing, China.

Another rower, Irianni Roman, failed to qualify but will to try for a place among the world's best in the junior division.

Meanwhile, Iván Felipe Silva will participate in the judo competitions in 81 kg, and in swimming, the Caribbean Island will be represented by Elisbet Gámez in the women's 100 meters freestyle.

Boxing will start on August 23rd with a first match including Cubans Javier Ibáñez (56 kg), world junior champion, as well as world champion of the category, Alain Limonta in 60 kg., and Yoan Hernández in 91 kg.

The boxers are considered Cuba's main trump card in this 2nd Youth Olympics, which is attended by nearly 4,000 athletes competing in 28 disciplines, officially opened last Saturday at Nanjing Stadium by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Wrestling

Cuba's 4-time world wrestling champion, Mijain López, will seek his 5th title at the World Wrestling Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from Sept. 8th-14th.

The two-time Olympic medal winner, at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London games, is heading Cuba's wrestling squad at the senior event, sports media reported.

Accompanying Lopez, who competes in the 130-kilo category, are Pablo Shorey, runner-up 4 years ago, and Ismael Borrero, gold medal winner at the regional championship in Mexico 2014 and Panama in 2013. All compete in Greco-Roman style.

National Wrestling Commissioner, Eduardo Pérez Téllez said, all the wrestlers "have received optimum training from the physical, technical and psychological perspective, along with excellent medical care."

López won the world title at the 2010 championship in Moscow, as well as the 2009, 2007 and 2005 tournaments.

Mexican Sports Festival

Cuba will send a fencing team to compete at the Mexico Sports Festival starting from Sept. 7th, a sports official recently released.

Cuban national commissioner of the discipline, Rigoberto Morejón, said the delegation is made up of 3 men and 3 women fencers, including Riuben Jay, Angela Winter, Yamilka Rodríguez, Reinier Enriquez, Daylon Díaz and Jennifer Morales.

Morejón added the group aims at trying to obtain "good" results and "being tested" against rivals to be found surely in the next Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz in November, as the locals and Venezuela's representatives.

As part of the preparations to get into "good shape" for the regional sports appointment, Cuba is scheduled to hold a fencing tournament in October, in remembrance of the victims of the bombing to a Cubana airliner over Barbados in 1976.