Cuba competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's seventeenth appearance in the Olympics, except for some editions. Cuban athletes did not attend in two Olympic Games (1984 and 1988), where they joined the Soviet and North Korean boycott. Cuban Olympic Committee sent the nation's smallest delegation to the Games since 1972. A total of 151 athletes, 97 men and 54 women, competed in 18 sports.
The Cuban team featured seven defending Olympic champions from Sydney: taekwondo jin Ángel Matos in the men's welterweight division, the women's volleyball team (led by Yumilka Ruíz), boxers Mario Kindelán and Guillermo Rigondeaux, Greco-Roman wrestler Filiberto Azcuy, sprint hurdler Anier García, and long jumper Iván Pedroso, who later became the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony. Among the champions, Kindelan and Rigondeaux managed to defend Olympic titles in their respective weight categories. Skeet shooter Guillermo Alfredo Torres, the oldest athlete of the team at age 45, became the first Cuban athlete to compete in five Olympic Games since 1980; meanwhile, judoka Yamila Zambrano was the youngest of the team at age 18.
Cuba left Athens with a total of 27 Olympic medals (9 gold, 7 silver, and 11 bronze), failing only two golds short of the total record achieved from Sydney. Eight of these medals were awarded to the athletes in boxing, six in judo, and five in athletics. Cuba's team-based athletes proved successful in Athens, as men's baseball and women's volleyball teams won gold and bronze medals, respectively. Among the nation's gold medalists were Osleidys Menéndez, who previously won the bronze in Sydney and also, became the first non-European athlete to claim an Olympic title in women's javelin throw since María Caridad Colón did so in 1980. On August 23, 2004, the International Olympic Committee stripped off Russia's Irina Korzhanenko shot put title after failing the doping test for stanozolol, and the gold medal was subsequently awarded to Yumileidi Cumbá at the conclusion of the Games.
Medalists
| style="text-align:left; width:72%; vertical-align:top;"| Medal Name Sport Event Date Athletics Women's shot put Baseball Men's tournament Athletics Women's javelin throw Boxing Flyweight Boxing Heavyweight Boxing Light flyweight Boxing Bantamweight Boxing Lightweight Wrestling Men's freestyle 60 kg Judo Women's +78 kg Athletics Women's hammer throw Taekwondo Women's 49 kg Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 60 kg Boxing Light welterweight Canoeing Men's C-2 500 m Boxing Welterweight Judo Men's 66 kg Judo Women's 52 kg Judo Women's 57 kg Judo Women's 63 kg Judo Women's 78 kg Shooting Men's skeet Athletics Women's hammer throw Athletics Men's 110 m hurdles Boxing Super heavyweight Volleyball Women's tournament Wrestling Men's freestyle 74 kg | style="text-align:left; width:23%; vertical-align:top;"|
Medals by sportSport TotalBoxing 5218Athletics 2125Wrestling 1113Baseball 1001Judo 0156Canoeing 0101Taekwondo 0101Shooting 0011Volleyball 0011Total971127
Archery
One Cuban archer qualified for the women's individual archery.
AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankMaydenia SarduyWomen's individual59558L 145–162Did not advance
Athletics
Cuban athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard).
Yumileidi Cumbá originally claimed a silver medal in women's shot put. On August 23, 2004, the International Olympic Committee stripped off Russia's Irina Korzhanenko shot put title after failing the doping test for stanozolol. Following the announcement of Annus' disqualification, Cumba's medal was eventually upgraded to gold.
Men Track & road events AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankAnier García110 m hurdles13.241 Q13.282 Q13.303 Q13.20Yoel Hernández13.412 Q13.292 Q13.376Did not advanceYuniel Hernández13.484 Q13.464 QDid not advanceYeimer López400 m45.442 Qcolspan=2 45.524Did not advanceYacnier Luis400 m hurdlescolspan=2 Did not advanceAguelmis RojasMarathoncolspan=6 2:21:5947
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionYoandri BetanzosTriple jump17.532 Q17.474Frank CasañasDiscus throw60.6017Did not advanceArnie David GiraltTriple jump16.7017Did not advanceIsbel LuacesJavelin throw80.0713Did not advanceLois Maikel MartínezDiscus throw57.1829Did not advanceIván PedrosoLong jump8.0511 q8.237Lisvany PérezHigh jump2.28=4 Q2.2511Yoelbi QuesadaTriple jump17.019 Q16.968
Women Track & road events AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankZulia Calatayud800 m2:03.993 Q1:59.214 q2:00.958Mariela GonzálezMarathoncolspan=4 3:02:2059Daimí Pernía400 m hurdles55.915Did not advanceAnay Tejeda100 m hurdles13.245Did not advanceVirgen BenavidesRoxana DíazMiladis LazoAna López4 × 100 m relay43.606colspan=2 Did not advance
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionNoraida BicetJavelin throw60.9712 q62.517Yusmay BicetTriple jump14.5314 Q14.579Sonia BissetJavelin throw61.458 Q63.545Yunaika CrawfordHammer throw71.742 Q73.16Yumileidi CumbáShot put19.102 Q19.59Yudelkis FernándezLong jump6.3630Did not advanceYania FerralesDiscus throw61.5410 q—Misleydis GonzálezShot put18.3310 q18.597Osleidys MenéndezJavelin throw64.911 Q71.53 Yipsi MorenoHammer throw70.567 Q73.36Aldenay VasalloHammer throw62.6437Did not advance
Baseball
Roster Manager: 39 – Higinio Vélez
Coach: 22 – Carlos Pérez Cepero, 30 – Pedro José Delgado Pérez, 34 – José Sánchez Elosegui, 41 – Francisco Laza Escaurrido Chapelle
Round robin TeamWLTiebreaker611-0610-152-43-34-25-161-0160-1
Semifinal
Gold Medal Final
Won Gold Medal
Boxing
Cuba, by far the most successful country at boxing in the 2004 Olympics, entered a boxer in each of the 11 weight classes in Athens. None of the seven boxers with a round of 32 match lost it. Only one of the boxers fell in the round of 16 (also the only boxer not to win a match), with the other ten advancing to quarterfinals. Two lost there, while the remaining eight ensured medals for themselves by winning their quarterfinal matches. One lost in the semifinal, earning a bronze medal. Of the seven Cuban boxers that advanced to the final bout in their weight classes, five won the match to take gold and two lost to claim silver medals.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankYan BartelemíLight flyweightW W 23–14W 30–11W 29–17W 21–16Yuriorkis GamboaFlyweightW 46–33W 26–21W 26–18W 20–11W 38–23Guillermo RigondeauxBantamweightW 21–7W W 20–5W 27–13W 22–13Luis FrancoFeatherweightW 32–15W 30–15L 26–34Did not advanceMario KindelánLightweightW W 24–9W 23–11W 20–10W 30–22Yudel JohnsonLight welterweightW W 32–28W 13–9L 11–17Lorenzo AragónWelterweightW W 16–14W 32–28W 38–10L 26–36Yordanis DespaigneMiddleweightW 36–24W 38–25L 11–12Did not advanceYoan Pablo HernándezLight heavyweightL 18–30Did not advanceOdlanier SolísHeavyweightW 24–21W 24–4W W 22–13Michel López NúñezSuper heavyweightW 18–13W 21–7L 16–18Did not advance
Canoeing
Sprint AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankKarel Aguilar ChaconMen's C-1 1000 m3:54.2503 q3:52.2602 Q3:54.9578Aldo Pruna DíazMen's C-1 500 m1:50.4263 q1:53.2294Did not advanceLedis BalceiroIbrahim RojasMen's C-2 500 m1:39.8602 Qcolspan=2 1:40.350Men's C-2 1000 m3:30.4352 Qcolspan=2 3:50.3468 Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify to final; q = Qualify to semifinal
Cycling
Track Sprint AthleteEventQualificationRound 1FinalTimeSpeed (km/h)RankOppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)RankReinier CartayaJulio César HerreraAhmed LópezMen's team sprint45.45859.27810Did not advance
Time trial AthleteEventTimeRankAhmed LópezMen's time trial1:02.7399
Omnium AthleteEventPointsLapsRankYoanka GonzálezWomen's points race5010
Diving
Cuban divers qualified for eight individual diving spots at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Men AthleteEventPreliminariesSemifinalsFinalPointsRankPointsRankPointsRankJorge Betancourt3 m springboard382.5621Did not advanceErick Fornaris380.0722Did not advanceErick Fornaris10 m platform351.7528Did not advanceJosé Guerra375.8725Did not advanceJorge BetancourtErick Fornaris3 m synchronized springboardcolspan=4 338.464
Women AthleteEventPreliminariesSemifinalsFinalPointsRankPointsRankPointsRankIohana Cruz3 m springboard203.7629Did not advanceYaima Mena10 m platform238.4430Did not advanceYolanda Ortiz259.4726Did not advance
Fencing
Four Cuban fencers (two men and two women) qualified for the following events:
Men AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / Opposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreRankAndrés CarilloIndividual épéeW 15–10L 11–15Did not advanceCándido MayaIndividual sabreW 15–13L 9–15Did not advance
Women AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / Opposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreRankEimey GómezIndividual épéeW 11–9L 9–15Did not advanceAna Faez MiclinIndividual sabreW 15–13L 4–15Did not advance
Gymnastics
Artistic Men AthleteEventQualificationFinalApparatusTotalRankApparatusTotalRankAbel Driggs SantosAll-around8.8759.6009.5509.0129.4258.81255.27428Did not advanceEric López Ríos9.0629.5009.6379.4009.6879.11256.39818 Q9.1378.6009.5009.7009.6758.83755.44920
Women AthleteEventQualificationFinalApparatusTotalRankApparatusTotalRankLeyanet González CaleroAll-around 9.3378.7878.7759.32536.22430 Q9.3258.7258.0129.23735.29922
Judo
Twelve Cuban judoka (five men and seven women) qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Men AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechage 1Repechage 2Repechage 3Final / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankYordanis Arencibia−66 kgW 0101–0010W 1001–0001W 1001–0001L 0002–1010colspan=3 W 0200–0000Rubert Martínez−73 kgL 0000–1000Did not advanceGabriel Arteaga−81 kgW 0130–0001L 0001–0010Did not advanceYosvany Despaigne−90 kgL 0001–0011Did not advanceOreidis Despaigne−100 kgW 0100–0010L 0000–1001Did not advanceW 1000–0010L 0000–0221Did not advance
Women AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechage 1Repechage 2Repechage 3Final / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankYamila Zambrano−48 kgL 0000–1110Did not advanceAmarilis Savón−52 kgW 1000–0000W 1010–0000W 0101–0000L 0010–1000colspan=3 W 1000–0000Yurisleydis Lupetey−57 kgW 1000–0000W L 0000–1000colspan=3 W 0010–0000Driulis González−63 kgL 0001–0010Did not advanceW 1000–0000W 1010–0000W Anaysi Hernandez−70 kgL 0000–1000Did not advanceYurisel Laborde−78 kgW 0011–0001L 0000–1001Did not advanceW 1001–0000W 0030–0022W 1001–0001Daima Beltrán+78 kgW 0030–0010W 1000–0000W 1001–0000W 1000–0000colspan=3 L 0100–1000
Rowing
Cuban rowers qualified the following boats:
Men AthleteEventHeatsRepechageSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankYuleidys CascaretSingle sculls7:19.452 R6:58.441 SA/B/C6:58.354 FB6:58.6112Yoennis HernándezYosbel MartínezDouble sculls7:20.955 R6:16.382 SA/B6:24.545 FB6:15.379Armando ArrechavaletaYosvel IglesiasLightweight double sculls6:25.145 R6:27.894 SC/D6:28.092 FC6:48.5014
Women AthleteEventHeatsRepechageSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankIsmaray MarreroDailin TasetLightweight double sculls7:18.355 R7:14.014 FCcolspan=2 7:42.2014