He may have fallen short of the gold at the 2012 Olympic Games… But Jaime Yusept Espinal still has plenty of reason to celebrate.
The 27-year-old Puerto Rican grappler lost his gold medal match on Saturday in the men’s 84-kilogram freestyle at the London Games to Sharif Sharifov of Azerbaijan.
Sharifov, the defending world champion, dominated the match against Espinal. He registered four points-scoring throws in a first round he won 6-1 before taking the second 2-0 to wrap up the win.
Despite the loss, Espinal has managed to make Puerto Rican sports history with his second place finish at the London Games. He delivered only the second silver medal in Puerto Rico’s Olympic history – and the first medal of any kind by a Puerto Rican wrestler.
Georgia’s Dato Marsagishvili and Iran’s Ehsan Naser Lashgari won bronze.
The Puerto Rico Olympic Committee has it’s the first female president… Her name: Sara Rosario Velez. Rosario Velez will replace former fencing star David Bernier, who stepped down three weeks ago after being appointed secretary of state in the administration of Governor-elect Alejandro Garcia Padilla. “I’m pleased and very happy…
Despite a disappointing performance, Javier Culson should still receive a hero’s welcome when he returns home after the 2012 Olympic Games. The 28-year-old Puerto Rican track star, the pre-Olympics favorite to take home the gold in the 400m hurdles at the London Games, had to settle for bronze following Félix…
Reineris Salas is officially an Olympic medalist. The 34-year-old Cuban freestyle wrestler claimed the bronze medal in the men’s freestyle 97kg wrestling competition at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Salas defeated Azerbaijan’s Sharif Sharifov in the bronze medal match. It was a positive end to Salas’ Olympic run after his loss…
In "Olimpíadas"
One thought on “Espinal Wins Puerto Rico’s First-Ever Wrestling Medal at the London Games”
Pingback: Rosario Velez to Lead the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee | Hispanically Yours: Celebrating the Latino Influence