2024-01-02 17:07:00
Photo: Olimpedia
Text: Hugo León
The Cuban Olympic jumper Marcia Garbey, finalist in the five rings event in Munich 72, died this January 1 in Santiago de Cuba, her native province, as confirmed by officials from the Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER) in the territory.
The former athlete was 74 years old at the time of her death and so far no details of the death are known.
Marcia went down in the history of Cuban sports for being the first jumper from the island to reach an Olympic Games final. Her feat took place in Munich, a German city where she jumped with a jump of six meters and 52 centimeters that placed her in fourth place, just shy of bronze.
In addition to this milestone, Garbey had qualified for the Mexico City Olympics four years earlier, but his performance there was discreet.
In the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg she was crowned in the 4×100 relay along with three other Cubans and in other Pan American editions she finished between fifth and seventh place in the long jump.
At the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he won a bronze medal and another gold in Panama. His retirement came at the end of the 1970s, and in the following years he would hold positions in the National Athletics Commission.
Garbey was part of a high-profile sports family that has been hit hard in recent weeks. In mid-December, one of Marcia’s brothers, the legendary boxer Rolando Garbey, passed away.
His other brother, Barbarito, ended up being an excellent player in the American leagues who was crowned champion in professional baseball.
Mourning in sport: the legendary boxer Rolando Garbey passed away
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