Cuban gymnast Manrique Larduet returns to competitions with French club Velizy

November 25, 2022

Cuban gymnast Manrique Larduet, who was banned from high-level competition on the island due to his comments and criticisms of the sports system, returned to elite athletics through the French club Velizy.

Larduet informed his social networks that he was competing with Velizy in the Top 12 of the French gymnastics league. The talented athlete, originally from Santiago de Cuba, contributed seven points to his team in the competition after winning on parallel bars and floor exercises; he only fell on the rings.

"Yesterday I was in Cuba lying in bed. Today I am in France competing for the Top 12. All I'm telling you is to stay calm if you're going through a difficult time in your life. When you least expect it, there will be a person willing to do everything possible to help you. My struggle continues, from Santiago de Cuba to the world," he wrote on his Facebook profile.

dentro larduet

In July of this year, Cuba's greatest gymnast in history moved to Italy to restart his sports career after being removed from elite athletics on the island without clear justification from the Castro regime authorities.

"New beginning, new opportunity," the well-known athlete assured on his social networks. In the images he can be seen with his new club, Palestra As Gin, in the Italian city of Civitavecchia, in the Lazio region.

The club itself had already stated: "Palestra As Gin - Ssd Ginnastica Civitavecchia is increasingly international. Welcome Cuban champion Larduet Manrique. He will train at the Federal Academy of Civitavecchia. We are ready for this new challenge."

In January 2021 Larduet hinted at the possibility of leaving Cuba to continue his career in another country since he was being kept away from training by the regime.

"Every cloud has a silver lining. That's what I say to the frustrated ones who don't let us move forward, only out of pain at seeing us shine. If one day I leave my sports career, I will leave happy with the legacy I leave behind," he stated then.

Larduet added that in Cuba he could have "motivation at 3000%, but not everything can be left to sacrifice. If one day everything changes and another Cuban gymnast like me or better comes out, I am sure that wherever I am, I will look for him and shake his hand for his good work. If one day I leave, I leave BIG."