• Submitted by: manso
• Sports
• 12 / 23 / 2010

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By Lemay Padrón Oliveros. After a very poor 2009, Cuban freestyle wrestling sorted out itself with good performances at continental events and three medals at the World Championship, which makes think they are on time to keep the presence on the Olympic podium, interrupted since the 1992 Barcelona Games.

In order to know something more about what has happened in the last twelve months and the projections ahead of 2011 we talked with Julio Mendieta, head coach of the senior team.

It has been a year loaded with emotions, he confessed. “We are happy because we have raised the level, above all in the technical and practical part, thanks to a very professional staff.”

“This year we won 23 gold medals, 12 silvers and 21 bronzes at international competitions. We are aware of our weaknesses and strengths, and expect greater victories improving the personalized work with each athlete.”

What will happen with the athletes who are veterans in the team now?

“The most veteran is Ivan Fundora, 34, but he is a very active competitor. He finished fifth at the World Championship and we consider him with possibilities for London ‘2012. I have no problem with age; I continue convening him though he is 40 years old.”

There has been renovation in other categories…

“It happened in 96kg, because the bronze medallist at the 2006 World Championship in Guangzou, Michel Batista, was a bit misdirected and we decided to give him a year of rest. If he intends   to come back completely focused we’ll reinsert him without any problem. In 120kg, Olympic Disney Rodriguez committed an involuntary doping violation and that’s why, he was removed temporarily too, but in that weight we have prospects with Elier Romero, world junior runner-up.”

In a general sense, Mendieta predicted that there would little changes in the regular team for the next events, but always confident of the good performances.

2011 should follow the path to victory, from the start we expect to finish among the top three in the coming World Cup. We won’t disappoint the fans of Cuban wrestling, and from now I say that we dream about three Olympic medals, he said like a goodbye.

Cubasi Translation Staff