Leuris Pupo makes history with third crown in rapid-fire pistol

October 23, 2023

Leuris Pupo has done it again. In a major competition like the XIX Pan American Games, he has climbed to the highest spot on the podium regardless of his age and the obstacles that stand in the way of his preparation.

After finishing in fifth place in the first phase of the 25-meter rapid-fire pistol on Saturday, a Sunday turnaround followed in pursuit of the coveted crown...

He dominated the second part of the preliminary stage with 292 points (series of 99, 95, and 97 points) and we all already knew he was in position to reign, especially given his valor and confidence when facing the finals.

To the firing line of the Pudahuel shooting range, on the outskirts of this city, came competitors for the medals including Venezuelan Douglas Gómez, Americans Henry Leverett and Keith Sanderson, and Peruvians Marko Carrillo and Kevin Altamirano.

The winner, after a maximum of eight series of five shots in four seconds each, would take the crown in one of the most striking events in sport shooting. That said, starting from the fourth round, the person with the lowest score would be eliminated.

The first two series of shots proved unremarkable for nearly all the finalists, as the pressure—undoubtedly—was playing its part in the competition.

Then Pupo shook off his sluggishness and headed toward victory with an admirable decision… His first shots of three and one point were forgotten, as he strung together scores of 4-5-5-3-5-4 for a total of 30.

The silver and bronze medals went to Venezuelan Douglas and American Leverett, with scores of 26 and 23, respectively. They also secured the two Olympic spots in play.

Pupo recorded his fourth medal in this event, after winning in Santo Domingo 2003 and Rio de Janeiro 2007, and taking silver in Lima 2019, beaten by his teammate Jorge Félix Álvarez, now absent from the final by one point.

"Even though I have other medals, winning always satisfies you because you put into practice the work you do. I was a bit pressured, but I knew how to control myself. In the final we all started off weak, but I worked psychologically and regained the confidence to move forward," he commented to JIT shortly after the explosion of emotion that his victory unleashed.

About the first series of five points that catapulted him to the top, he commented: "I gave myself strength internally. I thought that if I had done it in other competitions, including the Olympic Games, I could do it again. That gave me motivation."

"It hurt me that Jorge Félix wasn't in the final, as happened in Lima 2019, but ultimately this is Cuba's rapid-fire shooting team and the gold medal was the fundamental objective. We had to get it," he affirmed.

Looking toward the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, for which he was already qualified, he expressed that "I feel at that level, in good condition, despite my years. This sport allows for longevity and I am in position to fight for a medal."

In his final words, he acknowledged the pleasure he feels in continuing to bring medals to the people of Cuba.

Jorge Félix celebrated his teammate and friend's success, and admitted that two terrible series (the third ones from each round) prevented him from claiming a medal. Loss of concentration. That was the problem. His greatest regret was not that he lost the crown he won four years ago, but that he lost the opportunity to qualify for Paris 2024.