Daniel Nunez (Cuba)
History in Color:
March 21, 1979, Leningrad, Russia – 21-year old bantamweight Daniel Nunez of Cuba sets his first world record (121kg snatch) and wins the 56kg class with a 260kg (120+140) total at the 1979 Friendship Cup in Leningrad.
Daniel Nunez (b. 1958) was one of the best Cuban athletes of all times and the first weightlifter ever to win the Olympics for Cuba.
The historical moment for Cuba took place on July 21, 1980 when Nunez won a gold medal in the bantamweight class at the 1980 Summer Olympics and set two World records – 275kg total and 125kg snatch.
In his career, Daniel set 9 world records – 8 in snatch and 1 in total.
He collected top medals for Cuba at the major international tournaments. Besides the Olympics, Daniel Nunez scored 2 World gold medals (1978, 1980) in the bantamweight class, 1 silver (1981) and 1 bronze (1982) medals in the featherweight class at the World Championships and won the 1979 Pan American Games in the 56kg division.