Name/Title
Commemorative Keychain, Cuban Delegation to the XXI Olympiad, Montreal 1976Entry/Object ID
2025.20.19Description
A small rectangular pendant in silver-toned cast metal, attached by a soldered loop to a fine cable-link chain. The front face carries a low-relief design: a cyclist crouched over the handlebars of a racing bicycle, set within a partial circular or arcing frame, with a small bird in flight (with outstretched wings, suggestive of a dove) above the rider. The reverse face carries a deeply embossed text inscription in blocky sans-serif capitals (transcribed below). The piece has the soft, slightly granular surface texture typical of cast (rather than die-struck) commemorative tokens, and a uniform dark grey-silver patina from age and handling.Acquisition
Accession
2025.20Acquisition Method
GiftMade/Created
Date made
1976Time Period
1970sInscription/Signature/Marks
Transcription
XXI Juegos Olímpicos de Montreal. Delegación cubana. 1976Relationships
Related Places
Place
City
HavanaCountry
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaNotes
useRelated Events
Event
Games of the XXI OlympiadNotes
The 1976 Summer Olympics — officially the Games of the XXI Olympiad — were held in Montreal, Quebec, from July 17 to August 1, 1976. The Games are remembered for Nadia Comăneci's first perfect 10.0 score in gymnastics, an African boycott led by Tanzania over New Zealand's rugby ties with apartheid South Africa, and a massive cost overrun that left Montreal in debt for decades.Research Notes
Notes
Cuba sent 156 competitors (132 men, 24 women) in 14 sports, with the heavyweight boxer Teófilo Stevenson as flag bearer. The delegation had one of the most successful Olympic outings in Cuban history to that point, finishing 8th in the medal table with 13 medals (6 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze). Standout performances:
- Alberto Juantorena won both the men's 400m and 800m, becoming the first athlete ever to complete that double at the Olympics.
- Teófilo Stevenson won his second consecutive Olympic gold in heavyweight boxing (he would win a third in Moscow 1980).
- Cuban boxers won three gold medals at the Games, cementing Cuba's status as a global boxing power.
Cuba also sent a four-man road cycling team that finished 14th of 29 nations in the men's team time trial (2:17:00) and also entered the individual road race.Notes
Commemorative keychains and pin sets for socialist-bloc Olympic delegations of this era were often issued as "series", with each piece bearing a different sport (boxing, athletics, weightlifting, cycling, fencing, etc.) on the obverse and a shared dedication inscription on the reverse. The cyclist design in this keychain probably comes from such a series.
Cuban delegation memorabilia of the 1970s were typically produced through Cuban state enterprises for distribution to athletes, officials, and sometimes for diplomatic gifts and domestic sale.Created By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
September 28, 2025Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
June 18, 2026
