Only a few hours are left for the start of the World Parathletics Championships in Kobe 2024, in Japan, and one of the first Cubans to see action will be long jumper Robiel Yankiel Sol.
The world record holder in the T47 category (7.84 meters) arrived this Wednesday at the venue with the challenge of adapting as soon as possible to the time difference, since the classification of his event is scheduled for Thursday afternoon, the opening date of the competition.
“I will be one of the first to compete. Even if it’s just qualifying, I mustn’t be confident. I have to go out well to secure myself in the final without any problems,” he commented to JIT shortly after completing the grueling trip that took him to the other side of the planet.
“I’m ready as of now,” he added in jocular mode, but leaving no room for doubt that he will be looking to reedit the title he won in the Paris 2023 edition. It would not even be surprising if he could fulfill his eight-meter dream on Japanese soil.
Regarding this last topic, he did not let himself be “provoked” in the exchange. He preferred to leave it unanswered, perhaps so as not to add unnecessary pressure before a competition in which he is included as a clear favorite.
In the venue of the universal competition there is also the multi-champion of the sprint Omara Durand (T13), who will defend her crowns in the 100, 200 and 400 meters.
The javelin thrower Ulicer Aguilera (F13), who completes the Cuban trio in the hunt for a ticket to the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, will also be there.
Other athletes aiming to reach that goal include shot put specialists Leonardo Díaz (F56), Gerdan Fonseca (F52), Andrileydis Silot (F11), Yorisan Monterrey (F43), Guillermo Varona (F46), Ever René Castro (F41) and Noraivis de las Heras (F44).
The island’s armada is completed by jumpers Felipa Echevarría (T47) and Abraham Viltrés (T47), and sprinters Raciel González (T47) and Daniel Milanés (T47), who will compete with similar objectives.
In Kobe 2024, the gold and silver medalists of each event will obtain direct tickets to the Parisian event. Those who do not gain access through this route will have the possibility of adding points for the world ranking and wait for the distribution of the remaining places.
The universal competition gathers more than a thousand paratriathletes from a hundred countries. According to its organizers, 64 men and 46 women are registered, who climbed to the top of the podium in the previous version.
The program includes nine days of double sessions to distribute 171 sets of medals, 93 for men, 77 for women and one for the mixed category.
