Holguín judoka wins bronze and silver in São Paulo
- Written by Carlos Alberto García Aballe
- Published in Sports
- Hits: 58
The Holguín judoka Sheyla Hernández won the bronze medal in the IBSA Grand Prix 2026 and the silver medal in the Judo Championship of America after an outstanding performance, which strengthen her aspirations to qualify for the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
At the Grand Prix, the Cuban athlete began her journey in the over 70 kg (J2) division with a solid ippon victory against Australian Taylor Gosens, demonstrating her superiority from the opening moments of the match.
In the semifinals, she faced Brazilian Rebeca Silva, the 2024 Paris Paralympic champion and one of the leading figures in judo for the visually impaired. The match was very close and of a high technical level, although the local representative ultimately secured the victory to advance to the final.
Far from being discouraged by the setback, Hernández responded with a convincing performance in the bronze medal match, where she defeated Great Britain's Kirsten Taylor to secure the bronze medal and earn valuable points at the start of the qualifying process for Los Angeles 2028.
The competitive activity also included the IBSA Americas and Oceania Judo Championships, an event in which the Holguín native once again excelled, winning the silver medal in the +70 kg (J2) category.
With these results, Sheyla Hernández confirms her status as one of the leading exponents of Cuban Paralympic judo and begins a competitive cycle on the right foot, with the main objective of achieving qualification and arriving in optimal condition for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
