Erislandy Álvarez Wins Gold in Paris: "I Fulfilled My Grandmother's Wish"

The Cuban boxer Erislandy Álvarez, who clinched the Olympic gold medal in the 63.5-kilogram division, dedicated his victory to his grandmother, who passed away three months ago on the very day he qualified for Paris 2024.

"I am very emotional because I fulfilled my grandmother's wish," he said in conversation with accredited media at the Olympic sports event. "She died on May 31, the same day I qualified for these Games. It’s as if she wanted to give me so much joy before leaving. That's why I worked hard; I had to make her proud," the boxer stated with a choked voice.

Álvarez won by split decision against the Frenchman Sofiane Oumiha (3-2), not only outperforming his opponent but also the local crowd. "I thought they told me I lost the first round, and the second was even. That's why I went all out in the third, not stopping my punches," he said, according to the official newspaper Granma.

Regarding the excitement of the attendees at the Roland Garros arena in Paris, he confessed that he focused on his opponent and his corner. "They were yelling, and I kept saying: it's against me," he expressed, knowing that the support was for the other fighter.

In the World Championship last year in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the Frenchman, a Rio de Janeiro 2016 silver medalist and three-time world champion (2017, 2021, 2023), had been superior to the Cuban in a close fight. "He beat me in 2023, and now we're in 2024. A lot has changed for me in a year. I was 24/7 focused on what I was doing and always dreamed of this rematch... and I won it in his backyard," Álvarez pointed out.

With Erislandy's gold medal and the silver of freestyle wrestler Yusneylis Guzmán, who lost in the 50 kg category to American Sara Ann Hildebrandt (0-3), Cuba rose to 21st place in the medal standings of these Olympic Games, with two golds, one silver, and two bronzes.