Havana, October 26 (RHC) – Cuban Arlettys de la Caridad Acosta, in the 73-kilogram division, had a convincing debut at the 27th World Taekwondo Championships, which continued this Sunday in Wuxi, China.
In her third appearance at the world championships, the athlete from Sagua la Grande, Villa Clara, demonstrated a clear advantage over Mayling Wemama, representing New Caledonia.
Arlettys dominated the first round with a score of 7-0 and closed the second with a resounding 13-1, completely nullifying her young 17-year-old opponent.
In her second bout, the Cuban faced host Zhou Zegi, who presented a more demanding challenge. The first round ended without points, but was awarded to the Chinese on technical grounds.
At halftime, Arlettys responded with six points without receiving any, but in the third round, again without any points, the judges favored the home team, sealing her victory.
Zhou Zegi won gold at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games in both individual combat and the mixed team event. She also won the title at the 2021 Chengdu University and has reached the podium at continental competitions and Grand Prix tournaments.
Kelvin Calderón’s debut in the under 80 kilogram category is scheduled for Monday.
The Matanzas native arrives with the endorsement of having won bronze at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games and the Santo Domingo 2024 Open title, making him one of the Cuban team’s main assets.
