Ana Marcela Cunha Earns Brazil’s First-Ever Open Water Swimming Olympic Gold at the Tokyo Games

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s the golden hour for Ana Marcela Cunha.

The 29-year-old Brazilian swimmer, considered one of the best open water swimmers in history, claimed the gold medal in the women’s open-water swimming marathon 10km race at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Cunha finished well clear of her primary threats with a time of one hour, 59 minutes and 30.8 seconds.

Silver medalist Sharon van Rouwendaal, who claimed gold for the Netherlands at the 2016 Rio Games, fell just short of repeating as Olympic champ, by less than a second.

Kareena Lee of Australia was less than two seconds back of the winner to earn bronze.

It’s the second ever Olympic medal ever for Brazil in open water, and the country’s first gold medals in the sport.

Poliana Okimoto took bronze at the 2016 Rio Games.

Cuba’s Fernando Jorge & Serguey Torres Claim Surprise Gold in Canoeing at the Tokyo Games

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Fernando Jorge and Serguey Torres have ended a 20+ year Olympic medal drought…

The 22-year-old Cuban canoeist and his 34-year-old compatriot/partner won a surprise gold medal in the men’s canoe double 1,000 meters at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Jorge and Torres ended the race with a time of 3:24.995, just ahead of the Chinese team, who had a time of 3:25.198.

Germany, which had won the event at five of the last seven Olympic games, won the bronze with a score of 3:25.615.

Sebastian Brendel had been in the German boat for gold medals in the 2012 London Games and 2016 Rio Games.

But the race developed into a battle between Cuba and China over the final 500 meters.

The Cuban duo had won silver at the world championships in 2019, but Cuba hadn’t medaled in this event at the Olympics since 2000.

Spain’s Joan Cardona Méndez Claims Bronze in Finn Event at Tokyo Games

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Joan Cardona Méndez is celebrating his bronze ambition…

The 23-year-old Spanish competitive sailor claimed the bronze medal in the sailing Finn event at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Great Britain’s Giles Scott claimed his second straight gold in the event with a total score of 36 points.

Hungary’s Zsombor Berecz claimed the silver with a score of 39 points.

Cardona Mendez came into the race with a firm grip on bronze and confirmed it with a sixth place finish in the final race, ending the competition with a score of 51 points.

Brazil’s Thiago Braz Claims Bronze in Men’s Pole Vault at Tokyo Games

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Thiago Braz is back on the Olympics medal stand…

The 27-year-old Brazilian athlete, who won the gold in the men’s pole vault at the 2012 Rio Games, had to settle for bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Braz earned the bronze with a distance of 5.87 meters.

Sweden’s Armand Duplantis won the gold with a distance of 6.02 meters, while Team USA’s Chris Nilsen claimed the silver with a distance of 5.97 meters.

Cuba’s Roniel Iglesias Wins Gold Medal in Men’s Welterweight Boxing at Tokyo Games

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Roniel Iglesias is golden yet again…

The 32-year-old Cuban amateur boxer claimed the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games after defeating Great Britain’s Pat McCormack by a score of 5-0 in the men’s welterweight competition.

Scores were 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 in favor of Iglesias, who delivered a masterclass performance Tuesday evening at Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo.

Iglesias has previously won a gold medal at the 2012 London Games in the light welterweight category.

He also claimed a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Games after losing his semifinal bout to defending champion Manus Boonjumnong in the light welterweight category.

Iglesias moved to the welterweight prior to the 2016 Rio Games, where he competed but failed to medal.

The four-time Cuban Olympian with three medals can now add ‘two-time Olympic Gold medalist’ to his resume.

“This puts me straight up there in the highest ranking, in the highest order,” he said. “I think this speaks for itself and shows how much I love the sport. … Those who always doubted that I could achieve the Olympic pinnacle, that was an extra push from me to get up every morning and give it that extra bit of effort and achieve this result,” said Iglesias of his Olympic career.

Spain’s Teresa Portela Claims Silver in Women’s K-1 200m at the Tokyo Games

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

The sixth time’s the charm for Teresa Portela…

The 39-year-old Spanish sprint canoer claimed the silver medal in the women’s K-1 200 meter canoe sprint competition at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Portela finished the race with a final time of 38.883, right behind gold medalist Lisa Carrington of New Zealand’s time of 38.120.

Denmark’s Emma Jorgensen finished right behind Portela with a time of 38.901 to settle for the bronze.

Portela, who has competed since the early 2000s, has competed in six Olympics.

Previously she finished fourth on one occasion (2012 London Games: Women’s K-1 200 m) and fifth on three occasions (2004 Athens Games: K-2 500 m, K-4 500 m; 2008 Beijing Games: K-4 500 m).

Martine Grael & Kahena Kunze Repeat as Women’s 49erFX Sailing Champions at Tokyo Games

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a repeat performance for Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze …

The 30-year-old Brazilian sailor and her 30-year-old compatriot/partner have repeated as the winner’s of the women’s 49erFX sailing competition at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Grael and Kunze won the gold at the inaugural women’s 49erFX sailing competition at the 2016 Rio Games.

The duo won competition by finishing third in the final. That added 6 points to their net score for a final total of 76.

The silver went to Germany, while the bronze went to the Netherlands.

After the win, Grael and Kunze went to celebrate and wound up capsizing their boat in the process.

“It’s just good to be around friends,” Grael said after the win and subsequent capsize. “It’s always good to be around friends.”

“And then we capsized the boat in a place where we didn’t know if there were any rocks,” Kunze joked. “It was a little bit shallow,” Grael agreed.

“And we broke the mast, but it’s okay,” Kunze concluded. “It’s a nice moment. It’s going to stay in our mind forever.”

Brazil’s Abner Teixeira Wins Bronze in Men’s Heavyweight Boxing at Tokyo Games

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Abner Teixeira is bringing a bronze medal home to Brazil…

The 24-year-old Brazilian boxer has claimed the bronze medal in the men’s heavyweight boxing competition.

Teixeira lost in the semifinals to Cuba’s Julio César La Cruz by a three-round decision, with a score of 4-1, to settle for the bronze.

Teixeira—one of three Brazilian boxers to medal so far—won 30-27 on one card, overruled by more sensible scores of 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 in favor of La Cruz who is one of five Cubans to medal and one of three to compete for Gold.

Lázaro Álvarez Claims Third Straight Boxing Bronze Medal at the Tokyo Games

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Make that three in a row for Lázaro Álvarez…

The 30-year-old Cuban amateur boxer lost his semifinal men’s featherweight boxing match to the Russian Olympic Committee’s Albert Batyrgaziev by a score of 3-2, leaving him settling for a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

It’s Alvarez’s third consecutive Olympic bronze.

The southpaw previously won the bronze medal at the 2012 London Games and 2016 Rio Games.

Alison Dos Santos Claims Brazil’s First-Ever Olympic Medal in 400 Meter Hurdles at Tokyo Games

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Alison Dos Santos has officially put Brazil on the hurdles map…

The 21-year-old Brazilian athlete claimed the bronze medal in the 400 meter hurdles at the 2020 Tokyo Games, giving Brazil its first medal in the event.

Dos Santos also gave Brazil its first track and field medal at these Olympics.

A phenomenon on the rise of world athletics, Dos Santos consolidated the strength shown in the semifinals, in which he broke the South American record with a time of 47.31 seconds, improving by three hundredths his own continental mark. A brand that would drop again in the final.

He finished the race with a time of 46.72, right behind Team USA’s Rai Benjamin, who claimed the silver with a time of 46.17.

Norway’s Karsten Warholm claimed the gold with a world record-setting time of 45.94.

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Category Archives: Olimpíadas

Ana Marcela Cunha Earns Brazil’s First-Ever Open Water Swimming Olympic Gold at the Tokyo Games

Cuba’s Fernando Jorge & Serguey Torres Claim Surprise Gold in Canoeing at the Tokyo Games

Spain’s Joan Cardona Méndez Claims Bronze in Finn Event at Tokyo Games

Brazil’s Thiago Braz Claims Bronze in Men’s Pole Vault at Tokyo Games

Cuba’s Roniel Iglesias Wins Gold Medal in Men’s Welterweight Boxing at Tokyo Games

Spain’s Teresa Portela Claims Silver in Women’s K-1 200m at the Tokyo Games

Martine Grael & Kahena Kunze Repeat as Women’s 49erFX Sailing Champions at Tokyo Games

Brazil’s Abner Teixeira Wins Bronze in Men’s Heavyweight Boxing at Tokyo Games

Lázaro Álvarez Claims Third Straight Boxing Bronze Medal at the Tokyo Games

Alison Dos Santos Claims Brazil’s First-Ever Olympic Medal in 400 Meter Hurdles at Tokyo Games