On Friday, Cuban athlete Julio Cesar La Cruz won his fourth Pan American boxing gold medal at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games in Chile.
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The four-time champion disputed a hard-fought final with Brazil's Keno Marley Machado in the men's 92 kilograms category. He defeated Machado 4-1 at the National Stadium, Chile's main sports center, located in the Ñuñoa district in the northeastern sector of the capital.
"The Shadow" La Cruz, positioned his country in seventh place in the medal standings, after winning 4 gold medals and 15 in total in different disciplines.
In the 71 kilogram category for men, Mexican boxer Marco Alonso Verde defeated Ecuador's José Gabriel Rodríguez, winning the first gold medal in boxing for Mexico in these Pan American Games.
The tweet reads, "Julio Cesar promised. In Cuba I gave him the flag. In his hands he entered the National Stadium of Santiago 2023 and today he made it rise to the top. Congratulations to the captain of Cuban boxing! 4 times Pan American champion and 2 Olympic titles. You are a legend."
On the other hand, American Jahmal Harvey defeated Cuban Saidel Horta to win the gold medal in the men's 57 kilograms.
In one of the women's boxing categories, Colombian boxer Yeni Arias was crowned Pan American champion with the first place in 54 kilograms, who secured her qualification to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Arias defeated Brazil's Tatiana de Jesus Chagas, now owner of the silver medal, with a score of 3-2.
Meanwhile, Chile's Denisse Bravo took the first medal for Chilean women's boxing in the history of the Pan American Games on Thursday, after winning the bronze medal.
The American boxing finals gave gold medals to Colombia, Cuba, the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Canada.
Chile is currently hosting the Pan American Games, to be followed by the Parapan-american Games from November 17 to 26, 2023.
These are the most important sporting events organized by the South American nation since the 1962 World Cup.
A total of 60 Pan American and 18 Parapan-american disciplines are being disputed, with the participation of more than 9,000 athletes from 41 countries of the continent. Breaking, skateboarding and climbing disciplines are also debuting in the event.