Mijaín López Replaced as Cuba's Flag Bearer for Paris 2024 Olympics

The Cuban delegation to the Paris Olympics announced on Tuesday that Mijaín López will not be the male flag bearer for the opening ceremony of the prestigious sporting event, which begins this Friday. Instead, his place will be taken by boxer Julio César La Cruz.

“The decision aims to avoid Mijaín's travel from and to the Bulgarian city of Teteven, where the Greco-Roman wrestling team he leads is successfully wrapping up preparations for the event where he will attempt the feat of winning his fifth gold medal at this level,” stated a brief press release published on the sports portal JIT.

The statement adds that “this step was forged as a result of exchanges with the athlete himself and his technical team” to continue supporting his efforts and commitment to achieving their desired outcome.

According to Mijaín's own statements to Cuban television, cited by the agency Efe, the athlete said the decision was made by consensus with his coaches, doctor, physiotherapist, and team psychologist, with the goal of focusing on the competition day once he arrives in Paris.

“If this is the best course of action, we will wait for that day, fulfilling all the guidelines as we have so far. It is a great sacrifice, but one I take on behalf of my people and with the support of my family,” he said.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist admitted, however, that he would have “liked to be on the boat on the river (Seine).”

Mijaín López is scheduled to arrive in Paris on August 4, with his first competition taking place two days later.

The surprising change of flag bearer less than a week before the Olympic event comes just days before the conclusion of a lawsuit filed by a Cuban resident in Chile, who alleged that Mijaín López and other members of the Cuban delegation assaulted him during the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

López will aim for his fifth gold medal in the French capital, a feat not yet achieved in his discipline. The wrestler shone in Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016, and Tokyo 2020. However, in its forecast for the Olympic results, the prestigious sports magazine Sports Illustrated predicted a bronze medal for the stellar Mijaín López in Greco-Roman wrestling.

Julio César la Cruz, the boxer known for his "Patria y Vida no" slogan, will replace Mijaín López as the flag bearer. La Cruz is a two-time Olympic champion and a staunch supporter of the Cuban government.

In addition to his undeniable athletic successes, Julio César la Cruz became a favorite of the regime when, at the end of July 2021, just days after massive protests in Cuba against the government, he shouted “Patria y Vida no, Patria o muerte, venceremos!” after defeating fellow Cuban - but naturalized Spanish - Enmanuel Reyes at the Tokyo Olympics.

Julio César La Cruz will accompany the other flag bearer of the Cuban delegation, judoka Idalys Ortiz, who, if she reaches the podium, would add her fifth medal following her gold in London 2012, silvers in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, and bronze in Beijing 2008. She has also won eight medals in world championships.

Cuba aims to win five golds at the Paris Olympics and finish among the top 25 nations in the final standings of Paris 2024, which will take place from July 26 to August 11.

At the Tokyo Olympics, the island finished in 14th place, with a tally of seven gold medals, three silver medals, and five bronze medals.