# Roniel Iglesias first boxing gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

**Date:** 08/04/2021

When Roniel Iglesias finished the fight for the gold medal, he knelt down and caressed the Olympic rings drawn on the canvas. It is a gesture that symbolizes an entire career now marked by his second title at the Summer Games. His presence in Tokyo was perhaps the most questioned of the Cuban boxing team. However, today Roniel proved how right it was.

His victory in the final against British fighter Pat McCormack came with an undeniable 5-0. Only in the first round against Japanese fighter Sewonrets Quincy Mensah Okazawa did the Pinar del Río native not dominate, as if at his 32 years he was reliving the state of grace that made him an Olympic champion nine years ago.

"Only boxers know all the effort we make to get here. Those who thought I couldn't make it here will now have to change that opinion. My family and my godfather always believed in me, and I always kept in mind what I could give and I proved it now," says the Pinar del Río native.

Five years ago Roniel failed to reach the podium in Rio de Janeiro. Since then many questioned his physical condition to endure the entire fight, the Achilles heel that often placed him at the center of controversy. However, now the Caribbean fighter looked different.

"I had very good preparation and very focused on this competition. This is my third medal and each one has its importance. This gold is to confirm that I am a high-performance athlete, and it makes me very happy to achieve it in this 69 kg division, because it is one of the most competitive in boxing," he assured.

"The way I saw myself in this competition," he confessed, "I think I can make it to Paris without any problem. Nevertheless, now one step at a time. I want to participate in the next world championship and see what happens there."

While Roniel fought, the stands at the Kokugikan Arena seemed like a melting pot of Cuban spirit. Several members of the delegation, along with members of the flagship supported the Caribbean fighter. Among them, Lázaro Álvarez, the man who minutes before had achieved his third consecutive Olympic bronze, was also cheering.

This time either he did not manage to reach the top of the podium, but he officially gave national boxing its first medal here. There are others assured, but many are still engaged in changing its color. It is the flagship and today, with Roniel's resurrection and Lázaro's perseverance, it began to be true to its history.