Cuba competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's twentieth appearance at the Summer Olympics. The Cuban team consisted of 124 athletes, 89 men and 35 women, across eighteen sports.
Cuba returned home from Rio de Janeiro with a total of 11 medals (5 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze), its lowest haul in Summer Olympic history since 1976 based on the overall tally. Six of these medals were awarded to the Cuban team in boxing, three in wrestling, and one each in athletics and judo (both of which were won by women).
The most significant Cuban highlight of the Games came from Mijaín López, who successfully defended his super heavyweight title in Greco-Roman wrestling, matching a historic "three-peat" effort with Russian legend Alexander Karelin in the same sport category. Moreover, Lopez joined heavyweight boxers Teófilo Stevenson (1972–1980) and Félix Savón (1992–2000) as the only Cubans to ever achieve three successive Olympic titles.
Boxers Robeisy Ramírez (bantamweight), Arlen López (middleweight), and Julio César La Cruz (light heavyweight) contributed three of the country's gold medals through their respective weight categories, while reigning world lightweight champion Ismael Borrero added the Olympic title to his career treasury in Greco-Roman wrestling. On the women's side, judoka Idalys Ortiz completed a full set of medals at her third Olympics with a silver in the heavyweight class (+78 kg), bowing out her title defense to France's Émilie Andéol. Meanwhile, world champion Denia Caballero collected the country's only track and field medal with a bronze in the discus throw.
Medalists
| width=78% align=left valign=top |
Medal Name Sport Event Date Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 59 kg Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 130 kg Boxing Men's light heavyweight Boxing Men's bantamweight Boxing Men's middleweight Judo Women's +78 kg Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 98 kg Boxing Men's light flyweight Boxing Men's heavyweight Boxing Men's lightweight Athletics Women's discus throw
| width=22% align=left valign=top | Medals by sportSport TotalBoxing 3 0 36Wrestling 2 1 03Judo 0 1 01Athletics 0 0 11 Total 5 2 4 11
Competitors The Cuban Olympic Committee fielded a team of 124 athletes, 89 men and 35 women, across 18 sports at the Games. Although its full roster was roughly larger by 13 athletes than in London four years earlier, it was still one of Cuba's smallest delegations sent to the Olympics since 1964.
Men's volleyball was the only collective sport in which Cuba qualified for the Games, having returned to the Olympic scene after a sixteen-year absence. For individual-based sports, Cuba made its Olympic debut in badminton, as well as its return to fencing, modern pentathlon, and beach volleyball after being absent from London 2012, and artistic gymnastics after 12 years. Track and field accounted for the largest number of athletes on the Cuban team, with 43 entries. There was a single competitor each in archery, badminton, fencing, and taekwondo.
Fifteen of Cuba's past Olympic medalists returned, including defending champions Idalys Ortiz (judo, women's +78 kg), boxers Robeisy Ramírez (bantamweight) and Roniel Iglesias (welterweight), and rapid fire pistol shooter Leuris Pupo, who headed the roster as the most experienced competitor going to his fifth straight Games. Aiming for a historic golden three-peat in the super heavyweight category, Greco-Roman wrestler Mijaín López was selected to lead the Cuban delegation for the third consecutive time as the flag bearer in the opening ceremony. Moreover, he matched the record of boxing legend Teófilo Stevenson, who carried the Cuban flag at Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, and Moscow 1980.
Seventeen-year-old artistic gymnast Marcia Vidiaux was Cuba's youngest competitor, with skeet shooter and Athens 2004 bronze medalist Juan Miguel Rodríguez rounding out the field as the oldest competitor (aged 49).
Other notable athletes on the Cuban roster included 2015 world silver medalist Manrique Larduet in men's artistic gymnastics, pole vaulter Yarisley Silva, world boxing champions Joahnys Argilagos (light flyweight), Yosvany Veitía (flyweight), Lázaro Álvarez (lightweight), Arlen López (middleweight), and Julio César La Cruz (light heavyweight), world-ranked rower Ángel Fournier in the men's single sculls, and Greco-Roman wrestler Ismael Borrero (men's 59 kg).
| width=78% align=left valign=top | The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Games. Note that reserves in fencing are not counted as athletes: SportMenWomenTotalArchery 1 0 1Athletics 24 19 43Badminton 1 0 1Boxing 10 0 10Canoeing 5 1 6Cycling 0 3 3Fencing 1 0 1Gymnastics 2 1 3Judo 5 4 9Modern pentathlon 1 1 2Rowing 5 2 7Shooting 5 2 7Swimming 1 1 2Table tennis 2 0 2Taekwondo 1 0 1Volleyball 14 0 14Weightlifting 1 1 2Wrestling 10 0 10Total 89 35 124
Archery
One Cuban archer has qualified for the men's individual recurve at the Olympics by receiving a spare berth freed up by El Salvador as the next highest-ranked eligible athlete, not yet qualified, at the Pan American Qualification Tournament in Medellín, Colombia.
AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankAdrián PuentesMen's individual65637W 6–4L 4–6Did not advance
Athletics (track and field)
Cuban athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):
Following the end of the qualifying period on July 11, 2016, a total of 43 athletes (24 men and 19 women) were named to the Cuban track and field roster, as part of the nation's official team announcement nine days later. Among them featured hurdler and Beijing 2008 champion Dayron Robles, London 2012 medalists Yarisley Silva (pole vault) and Leonel Suárez (decathlon), 2015 world champion Denia Caballero, and triple jumper and world leader Pedro Pablo Pichardo.
Track & road events Men AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankJosé Luis Gaspar400 m hurdles50.587Did not advanceYoandys Lescay400 m45.363 Q45.006Did not advanceReynier Mena200 m20.424Did not advanceYordan O'Farrill110 m hurdles13.564 Q13.707Did not advanceRicher PérezMarathoncolspan=4 2:18:0546Jhoanis Portilla110 m hurdlesDid not advanceDayron RoblesDid not advanceRoberto Skyers200 m20.442 Q20.608Did not advanceEdel AmoresYaniel CarreroReynier MenaReidis RamosCésar Yuniel RuizRoberto Skyers4 × 100 m relay38.477colspan=2 Did not advanceAdrián ChacónWilliam CollazoJosé Luis GasparYoandys LescayOsmaidel PellicierLeandro Zamora4 × 400 m relay3:00.163 Qcolspan=2 2:59.536
Women AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankRose Mary Almanza800 m2:00.503Did not advanceDailín BelmonteMarathoncolspan=4 2:48:58102Sahily Diago800 m2:01.383Did not advanceArialis Gandulla200 m23.416Did not advanceZurian Hechavarría400 m hurdles57.287Did not advanceLisneidy Veitia800 m2:02.104Did not advanceDaisurami BonneGilda CasanovaEvelyn CiprianoSahily DiagoRoxana GomezLisneidy Veitia4 × 400 m relay3:30.118colspan=2 Did not advance
Field events Men AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionJorge FernándezDiscus throw60.4322Did not advanceRoberto JanetHammer throw73.2314Did not advanceLázaro MartínezTriple jump16.6112 q16.688Maykel MassóLong jump7.8115Did not advancePedro Pablo PichardoTriple jumpDid not advanceErnesto Revé16.5814Did not advance
Women AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionYulenmis AguilarJavelin throw54.9429Did not advanceDenia CaballeroDiscus throw62.946 Q65.34Yirisleydi FordHammer throw10.9132Did not advanceYaniuvis LópezShot put17.1522Did not advanceYaime PérezDiscus throw65.381 Q—Liadagmis PoveaTriple jump13.7825Did not advanceYarisley SilvaPole vault4.605 q4.60=7Saily ViartShot put16.9926Did not advance
Combined events – Men's decathlon AthleteEventFinalRankYordanis García Result10.816.8314.582.0148.6914.2540.344.5064.704:44.99796118Points903774764813876942671760809649Leonel Suárez Result11.217.1414.272.0748.1514.4847.074.9072.324:28.3284606Points814847745868902913810880925756
Combined events – Women's heptathlon AthleteEvent 200 m 800 mFinalRankYorgelis RodríguezResult13.611.8613.6924.266.2548.892:14.6564819Points10341054773956927835898
Badminton
Cuba has qualified one badminton player for the men's singles into the Olympic tournament. Osleni Guerrero had claimed his Olympic spot as one of top 34 individual shuttlers in the BWF World Rankings as of 5 May 2016.
AthleteEventGroup StageEliminationQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOsleni GuerreroMen's singlesL (12–21, 14–21)W (21–16, 21–15)2Did not advance
Boxing
Cuba has entered ten male boxers to compete in each of the following weight classes into the Olympic boxing tournament. Olympic bronze medalist Yasniel Toledo was the only Cuban finishing among the top two of their respective weight division in the World Series of Boxing.
Five boxers (Argilagos, Veitía, Alvarez, López, and La Cruz) qualified through the 2015 World Championships, while Roniel Iglesias, Erislandy Savón and Lenier Pero had claimed their Olympic spots at the 2016 American Qualification Tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina. London 2012 champion Robeisy Ramírez was the last Cuban boxer to upgrade an Olympic spot in the men's bantamweight division with a quarterfinal triumph at the 2016 AIBA World Qualifying Tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankJoahnys ArgilagosMen's light flyweightW 2–1W 3–0L 1–2Did not advanceYosvany VeitíaMen's flyweightW 3–0L 1–2Did not advanceRobeisy RamírezMen's bantamweightW 3–0W 2–1W 3–0W 3–0W 2–1Lázaro ÁlvarezMen's lightweightW 3–0W 3–0L 0–3Did not advanceYasniel ToledoMen's light welterweightW 2–1L 0–3Did not advanceRoniel IglesiasMen's welterweightW L 0–3Did not advanceArlen LópezMen's middleweightW W 3–0W 3–0W 3–0Julio César La CruzMen's light heavyweightW 3–0W 3–0W 3–0W 3–0Erislandy SavónMen's heavyweightW 3–0W 3–0L 0–3Did not advanceLenier PeroMen's super heavyweightW 3–0L Did not advance
Canoeing
Sprint Cuban canoeists have qualified a single boat in the women's K-1 200 m for the Games through the 2015 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships. Meanwhile, four additional boats were awarded to the Cuban squad at the 2016 Pan American Sprint Qualifier in Gainesville, Georgia, United States, either by winning their event or when the quota place for their event passed to the highest finisher not qualified.
AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankFidel Antonio VargasMen's K-1 200 m35.5616Did not advanceJorge DayánSerguey TorresMen's C-2 1000 m3:34.9392 Q3:40.1921 FA3:48.1336Jorge GarcíaReinier TorresMen's K-2 1000 m3:25.7115 Q3:23.4665 FB3:18.7689Yusmari MenganaWomen's K-1 200 m41.7011 Q41.6886 FB42.03612Women's K-1 500 m2:02.1626Did not advance Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)
Cycling
Road Cuba has qualified one rider in the women's Olympic road race by virtue of a top 22 national finish in the 2016 UCI World Rankings.
AthleteEventTimeRankArlenis SierraWomen's road race3:58:0328
Track Following the completion of the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, Cuban riders have accumulated spots in the women's sprint, women's keirin, and women's omnium, by virtue of their final individual Olympic rankings in those events.
Sprint