Cuba's first Olympic champion was fencer Ramon FONST, who won gold as a 16-year-old in the men's epee at the Paris 1900 Olympic Games. He won three further gold medals at the St Louis 1904 Olympic Games and also competed in the Paris 1924 Olympic Games.
The last time the Olympic Games were held in London in 1948, Cuba's Carlos de CARDENAS CULMELL and his son (also Carlos) took a silver in sailing. The competition was held at Torbay in south-west England.
More recently, Cubans have enjoyed success in athletics. At the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games, Alberto JUANTORENA won the men's 400m and 800m double. Alejandro CASANAS claimed successive silver medals in 1976 and 1980 and his example was followed by Anier GARCIA, who took gold at Sydney 2000, and Dayron ROBLES, who won gold at the Beijing 2008 Games.
Javier SOTOMAYOR was the outstanding high jumper of his generation. He won gold in Barcelona in 1992 and silver in Atlanta in 1996. Maria COLON won the women's javelin at Moscow in 1980 and Osleidys MENENDEZ followed up a bronze at Sydney 2000 with gold at Athens 2004.
Cuba have excelled in combat sports. In boxing, Teofilio STEVENSON won three consecutive gold medals in the heavyweight division (1972–80), a feat emulated by countryman Felix SAVON (1992–2000).
In judo, Driulys GONZALEZ collected a full set of Olympic medals. Her gold medal-winning performance came in the lightweight competition at the Atlanta 1996 Games.
Wrestler Filiberto AZCUY won the men's Greco-Roman welterweight gold in 1996 and 2000, and Mijain
LOPEZ took the men's super heavyweight crown at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Cuba have also success in team sports. When baseball was introduced to the Olympic programme at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, Cuba won the gold medal. They won two further gold medals (1996 and 2004) and finished no lower than second in the other tournaments before the sport was removed from the programme after the Beijing Games.
Cuba's women won the volleyball gold medal at four consecutive Olympic Games (1992–2004).
Anthem: Title
La Bayamesa (The Bayamo Song)
Anthem: Year of Induction
1902
Anthem: Composer
Words and music by Pedro FIGUEREDO.
Official NOC/NPC name
Cuba
IOC recognition date
1954
NOC/NPC President's name
Mr Jose R. FERNANDEZ ALVAREZ
NOC/NPC General Secretary's name
Mr Ruperto HERRERA TABIO
IOC Member's Name
Mr Reynaldo GONZALEZ LOPEZ, Mrs Yumilka RUIZ LUACES
Year of first appearance in an Olympic and Paralympic Games
1900
Number of appearances in Olympic and Paralympic Games
19, including London 2012
Summary of Olympic and Paralympic Games Appearances
| Medals per sport | ||||||||||
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | ||||||
| Athletics | 10 | 13 | 14 | 37 | ||||||
| Baseball | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | ||||||
| Basketball | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Boxing | 32 | 19 | 12 | 63 | ||||||
| Canoe - Sprint | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||||||
| Cycling - Track | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| Fencing | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | ||||||
| Judo | 5 | 11 | 16 | 32 | ||||||
| Sailing | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| Shooting | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||||
| Swimming | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| Taekwondo | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | ||||||
| Volleyball | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | ||||||
| Weightlifting | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||||
| Wrestling - Freestyle | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | ||||||
| Wrestling - Greco-Roman | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 | ||||||
| Total | 66 | 62 | 60 | 188 | ||||||
| Medals per year | ||||||||||
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | ||||||
| 1900 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||||||
| 1904 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||||||
| 1948 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| 1964 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| 1968 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | ||||||
| 1972 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | ||||||
| 1976 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 13 | ||||||
| 1980 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 20 | ||||||
| 1992 | 14 | 6 | 11 | 31 | ||||||
| 1996 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 25 | ||||||
| 2000 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 29 | ||||||
| 2004 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 27 | ||||||
| 2008 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 24 | ||||||
| Total | 66 | 62 | 60 | 188 | ||||||
