Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Asunción, August 21 – From the moment Yisnoly López competed this Wednesday in the qualifying round of the C1 200, she proved that she was ready to chase her first gold medal in Asunción 2025. On a chilly day, her strokes appeared like fire on the Bay of Asunción, the venue for canoeing at the Junior Pan American Games—a reality she confirmed just hours later with the gold medal.
In the final, she took off with vigor, which is ideal for a race that is decided in under a minute. To her right, Canadian Elizabeth Desrosiers was holding her ground. They looked like two torpedoes in the water, so much so that when the finish line came into view, Yisnoly only needed to take one breath to realize she had left it behind.
The Cuban crossed the line in 49.79 seconds; her strongest rival followed in 50.07 seconds. Brazilian Lorrane Santos secured the bronze with a time of 50.67 seconds. It was literally less than the snap of a finger.
“The last hundred meters are the most difficult,” the Cuban asserts, still catching her breath, “but I learn a lot from my teammate Yarisleidis Cirilo, and she is very strong in the finals.”
Yisnoly still has three events left in these Junior Pan American Games, a challenge she hopes to overcome with medals in each of those competitions. “It starts now,” she concludes.
This title marked the eighth gold medal for Cuba in Asunción 2025 and comes in a sport with great expectations. Realizing all of them largely depends on the power and drive this young woman infuses into her strokes to propel the canoe forward. (Text and Photo: Cubadebate)
