Havana, Cuba - Through Rafael Alba, in the 87 kg and Rosbelis Despaigne (+87), the Cuban squad finished its performance with two bronze medals at the World Taekwondo Championships, which houses the Russian city of Chelyabinsk.

Alba and Rosbelis, the last hopes to access the top of the podium in the farewell round, could not go further the bronze medals they have achieved on Saturday when arriving to the semi-finals with great options to fight for the title, reported mastaekwondo.com website.

Havana, Cuba - Yania Aguirre, in the 49 kilograms division, and Jose Angel Cobas (74 kg), will be the first Cubans to fight in the World Taekwondo Championships to open tomorrow in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk.

Among women, Aguirre will be responsible for initiating actions by Cuba in the second day of competition when facing Italy's Erica Nicoli, while in the men's event Cobas will fight against Kenyan Haron Mukada, according to the specialized site mastaekwondo.com.

Havana - Cuban Serguey Torres won the gold in single-seater canoe (C-1) in the last day of the Canoeing World Cup,held in Portugal, published today website Jit.

Torres, winner of five medals in world competitions, got the title in the five thousand-meter distance in the World Cup disputed in the cityh of Montemor-o-Velho.

Havana, Cuba - Cuban Yarisley Silva won the gold medal in the women’s pole vault in the Games of the British city of Manchester with record of 4.30 meters.

According to press dispatches, the London 2012 Olympic runner up surpassed by 10 centimetres to her nearest rival the American Melissa Gernel.

Havana, Cuba - The stellar Idalis Ortiz (+78 kgs) leads the Cuban women's judo team that will compete in the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, scheduled for July 10 to 26.

Along with Ortiz, London 2012 Olympic champion and double world champion in Rio de Janeiro 2013 and Chelyabinsk 2014, the squad also includes Onix Cortés (70 kilos), world bronze medallist in the Russian city, Ronaldo Veitia, head coach of the national team, told ACN.

Rome - Pope Francis exhorted today sportsmen to avoid the consumption of prohibited substances as to reach ''ugly and sterile'' victories, as resul of the doping.

Also he qualified of ugly victory obtained with 'foul plays, violating the norms and cheating others'.

According to the Pontiff, the sportsmen have a mission to fulfill, to be for all their admirers a model to be followed.