Fernández’s talent was evident from the beginning. He was a champion at the Seventh National School Games in 1969 and secured the National Youth Championship title from 1971 to 1973. Between 1975 and 1979, he dominated the National First Category Championship and emerged victorious at the Seventh Pan American Games in 1975, winning two gold […]
Fernández’s talent was evident from the beginning. He was a champion at the Seventh National School Games in 1969 and secured the National Youth Championship title from 1971 to 1973. Between 1975 and 1979, he dominated the National First Category Championship and emerged victorious at the Seventh Pan American Games in 1975, winning two gold medals and one silver.
Throughout his illustrious career, Fernández set 84 records, both nationally and internationally, and earned the title of the strongest man in the Americas by lifting 400 kg in the biathlon. After retiring from active sports, he continued to impart his expertise as a coach. From 2013 to 2017, his youth teams dominated the provincial championships in the 11-12 and 13-14 year categories. Additionally, in 2002 and 2003, he embarked on a mission to Venezuela.
Gerardo Fernández Tabares was a renowned Cuban weightlifter, known for being the first Latin American to lift 400 kilograms in the biathlon. He achieved numerous national and international records throughout his career.
Fernández won two gold medals and one silver at the Seventh Pan American Games in 1975, set 84 records, and was declared the strongest man in the Americas for lifting 400 kg. He also competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics and various international competitions.
The Cuban Weightlifting Federation released an official statement commemorating his life and achievements: “Today we say goodbye to a great figure in Cuban sports, a father, grandfather, brother, friend, and mentor.” The message highlighted his remarkable sports career and his invaluable contribution to mentoring future generations.
Journalist Jesús González Bayolo shared a heartfelt memory on social media: “I heard from colleague Carlos Hernández Luján from the television news: Gerardo Fernández Tabares has passed away. I felt a jolt because I became a specialist writer in the sport of the strongmen, and… he was the first weightlifter I interviewed.”
González Bayolo reminisced about his first experience as a sports journalist in March 1973 when prominent Cuban coach Manuel Suárez asked him to cover one of Fernández’s feats. “I went to the Sports City and interviewed Gerardo Fernández Tabares because he had broken a record of the then strongest Cuban weightlifter, Fernando Bernal,” he recalled.
