The performance of cyclist Zaydamis del Carmen Márquez Cordoví at the Summer Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan, demonstrates progress, endurance, and versatility on the track. A comparative analysis of her results in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, in 2022, with those recently achieved, reveals that beyond the final standings, her performance in the Japanese capital was better.
Puerto Padre, Las Tunas.- In the individual road race, she finished 9th out of 9 competitors, with a time of 1 hour, 39 minutes, and 12 seconds. A negative aspect of her performance in Caxias do Sul was that she did not finish the points race nor participate in the sprint. In Japan, the athlete demonstrated remarkable physical capacity by competing in all 6 events, despite a 13-hour time difference with Cuba, temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius, uneven terrain, and challenging conditions. While she didn't reach the podium, she completed four events and faced more higher-ranked rivals, many of whom were absent in Caxias do Sul. In the time trial, she went from sixth out of six to 21st out of 23 cyclists of a higher caliber, competing in adverse conditions, marked by a cold temperature of 10 degrees Celsius.
She also added two new and demanding disciplines to her repertoire: the cross-country short track, where she finished 13th out of 15, and the sprint, where she placed 19th out of 23 women.
In the Olympic mountain bike cross-country, she finished eleventh out of 15 competitors. In both mountain bike events, the gear ratios on her bike were not suited to the terrain, a technical problem Zaydamis experienced during the races. In Japan, she was cited for falling behind in the 50-kilometer individual road race and the points race, failing to finish both, for reasons not specified on the Deaflympics website.
The leap of participating in six events and completing four, and facing rivals from around the world instead of small groups, demonstrates Zaydamis Márquez Cordoví's undeniable progress.
"I am very proud to have represented Cuba at the Tokyo 2025 Games. This competition has been an incredible experience and represents the culmination of years of effort. I leave very happy and proud because I feel I gave my best in every race, against the best cyclists in the world. My greatest joy is having shown progress in speed, since in Brazil I was a less experienced cyclist, with only five months on the National Team. Here, in Tokyo, I completed a demanding program, I tried new disciplines, and I am very happy. Thank you all for following my career, and trust that with the help of my coach, even better results are coming."
According to data provided by her coach, Ramón Acosta Osorio, Zaydamis ran 16 kilometers in Brazil in 44:02:27 minutes, and now in Japan, she ran 15 kilometers in 36:42:03, running on firmer terrain, while her cycling speed increased from about 21 kilometers per hour in Caxias do Sul to about 24 kilometers per hour in Tokyo.
"Although our athlete results weren't what we expected, we can say that we are satisfied with the progress Zaydamis has shown here, in Tokyo. In Caxias do Sul, she competed in small groups of competitors, while here she has faced the best in the world at a high level of competition," says Ramón Acosta.
"Regarding the Time Trial event, despite dropping in the standings, her performance was superior to the previous games, with better times and higher average speed, achieved on such a challenging course." The coach from Las Tunas believes there is still a long way to go and more training is needed to achieve better results in upcoming international competitions. He also called for continued growth in cycling programs at the high school level to increase both boys' and girls' enrollment aged 13 and 14.
Comparative statistics between the Summer Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul and Tokyo validate a significant quantitative and qualitative leap for Zaydamis del Carmen Márquez Cordoví, the sole representative of Cuban cycling in Japan.
