manrique larduet

Manrique Larduet Bicet, born on July 10, 1996, in Santiago de Cuba, began his gymnastics career at the age of five. By age nine, he moved to Havana to train at the National Gymnastics School, marking an early dedication to the sport. His international senior debut occurred in 2013, quickly establishing him as a significant presence in men’s artistic gymnastics. A notable milestone early in his career was becoming the first Cuban gymnast to win a medal in the individual all-around at the World Championships, achieving silver at the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, and bronze on the horizontal bar at the same event. He was also named Best Latin American Gymnast by Gimnasia Latina magazine and the 2015 Cuban Athlete of the Year alongside boxer Julio Cesar La Cruz.

Larduet’s career has been marked by numerous achievements across various competitions. At the 2015 Pan American Games, he secured a gold medal in vault, silver in the all-around, silver in parallel bars, and bronze in rings. He also collected multiple gold and silver medals at the Pan American Championships in 2013 and 2018, and at the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2014 and 2018. His performance at the 2014 Pan American Sports Festival saw him win medals in every event, including all-around gold. His skill was further recognized in 2016 when the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) named a parallel bars element after him, the ‘Larduet,’ a double somersault with a twist as a finishing element.

Despite injuries, including a ruptured tendon during the 2016 Rio Olympics and wrist injuries in 2019, Larduet continued to compete at a high level. He achieved an all-around first-place finish in the qualification round at the 2017 World Championships before placing fifth in the final. His ambition was to compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, but he withdrew due to a dispute with the Cuban Gymnastics Federation. In 2022, he resumed his career in Italy, demonstrating his enduring commitment to gymnastics.