A paradox of fate, gunman Leuris Pupo had to wait 12 years to win an Olympic gold medal. A few days ago in 12 seconds he could afford a brief smile. This smile of a happy father, as divine exhalation, this smile by the name of Celine, his girl, that by sheer luck this past Saturday midnight saw the light for the first time.
This way we had our last conversation, he, as a common human being savouring a Crystal beer along with the godfather of the little one … me, working and turning down his invitation.
Pupe, usually a soft, slow speaking person, was bubbling sounds, all out of happiness after knowing his wife Yinnay and his newly born, who weighed 9 pounds and 12 ounces, were perfectly fine. The 35 year old sportsman from Holguin let aside his emotions to answer my questions.
According to the Mayans 2012 will bring the end of the world; for you: the happiest year of your life?
Undoubtedly yes. I have been patient, I have delivered, the achievement was late in coming (20 years in the national team, the fourth Olympic Games) but in one year I have received the two biggest medals in the career of life: my beautiful daughter, and the Olympian gold of London.
Two moments …: how was to fight with both pressures, at the hour zero in the British capital and other competitive stages, and always following the evolution of your wife?
Since I went out as part of my training to the World Cups of Milan (position 29) and Munich (eighth) I knew that Yinnay was pregnant. In these first confrontations I was not completely focused, nor in the final Bangkok (ninth). It happens that at first my wife, like many others, was not feeling good, and towards the ends, just when I was in Thailand she had a relapsing. Fortunately in the British capital I had a day of entire lucidity, everything went smooth. It was my competition, but not the only one, since in the Latin American of Granada, Spain, I was also precise.
So precise he was that having wanted it he could have stopped the secondary hand of the Big-Ben with a "shot", since he emulated the record at finals with 34 units. Earlier he had entered third into the decisive segment with 586 (identical series of 293). For these fortuitous coincidences with that one same accumulated 586 (291-295) and 33 reveilles hits he set a record in the Spansih event. The 583 of San Salvador 2010 were left in the past.
Did the negative incidents with the weapon stay behind?
In competences yes, the last one was in Guadalajara … earlier it had happened in Winnipeg and in two circuits of the World Cups, in trainings the last incident was in Granada but at the time of the truth carried the electronic Pardini performed very well.
By the way I already tried the mechanic one, it is an excellent weapon, the grip very comfortably, thanks to which I have increased the stability when shooting.
And what a way to premiere! Pupo won the title in the IV Cerro Pelado Games with 589 points and 32 targets in the final, ahead of Jorge Félix (574-31) and also veteran Juan Francisco Pérez (573-27).
Innovations and places to crossed fire …
Exactly this contest in the Enrique Borbonet polygonal served as thermometer to prove the changes in the rules applied by the International Federation by the ends in the different forms: For example, in 3×20 and 3×40 to 50 meters now it is necessary to shoot from three positions in the decisive segment, because of 15 attempts stretched, 15 of knee and after the eight first ones from the position of standing those of minor yield are eliminated.
The free and of air gun, on the other hand, eliminate one by one the least precise from the sixth shot in the conclusive round. All this and the preliminary piled up ones do not count, the same that in the skeet.
For the time being Pupo is in the top of the world ranking of his speciality with 3 364 points. Of the rest of our comrades the best places correspond to the rifle shooter Eglys Cruz in the 25th position in the rifle 3×20 to 50 meters with 217 points and her homologous Dianelys Pérez in 45 (52); meanwhile in that of air to ten meters they turn out to be somewhat more removed from the top positions: Eglys (54) with 32 points and Pérez (71) with 20. Guillermo Alfredo closes in the skeet with the 67position and three units.
Without being too appellant I return to the beginning of this material. We were speaking about gunman Leuris Pupo, everything that happened in 12 months and the possibility of reaching the Olympic top. There from now, along with him and the "gods” his beautiful small Celine is.
Author
Harold Iglesias Manresa
