The seven Cuban shooters qualified to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will fight for reaching the finals of the strong event, and will face high level rivals, Rafael Guerra, president of the Cuban Sport Shooting Federation, told ACN.

Guerra explained that Leuris Pupo, monarch of the summer event of London 2012 in the men’s 25 meters rapid fire pistol event, appears as the main trump card of the Cuban team, and stands out by his technical skills, combativeness and mental state.

The conviction that it is possible, he said, has distinguished Cuban shooters despite adverse conditions, hence their performance, which includes three bronze and one gold medal in such scenarios.

The squad also includes the men Reynier Estopiñán (50m rifle 3 positions and 50m rifle prone), Alexander Molerio (50m rifle 3 positions and 50m rifle prone), Jorge Grau (10 and 50 meters pistol) and Juan Miguel Rodríguez, bronze medalist in Athens 2004 in the event of skeet.

While women qualify two athletes, both in the events of 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3 positions), Eglys Cruz, who finished third in Beijing 2008, and Dianelys Perez, who will attend for the first time this kind of competition.

Cuba ranks 14th by the number of competitors qualified to Brazil among the 69 countries that will participate in the different events of sport shooting.

Before Rio 2016, Cuban athletes will undergo training bases in El Salvador and Guatemala from July 3, and then they will arrive in Brazilian soil on the 25th of that same month.

The shooting tournament of Rio de Janeiro Olympics will start on August 5th.