Cuban para-athletics had a golden day with three titles in the VII Parapan American Games Santiago de Chile 2023, which will conclude next Sunday November 26.
The gold harvest was started by Robiel Yankiel Sol Cervantes, who won the long jump of the T47 category (upper limb affected) with a world record of 7.74 meters (m).
In the Mario Recordón Athletic Center, Sol Cervantes, world and Paralympic champion, achieved this excellent mark in his fifth attempt and improved by three centimeters his previous world record obtained last June in the V Parapan American Youth Games, held in Bogotá, Colombia, where he triumphed with 7.71 meters.
Then came the triumph of the stellar sprinter Omara Durand in the 100 m, category T12 (profound visual impairment), with a record for the event of 11.65 seconds (s).
Durand, world record holder in the 100, 200 and 400 m, and winner of eight gold medals in the Paralympic Games, together with her guide Yuniol Kindelán, won the hectometer crown to achieve her second gold medal in this continental competition.
With that performance, he equaled his record in that event of 11.65 seconds, set in the Toronto 2015 edition.
The third gold medal was won by Ever René Castro, who became champion in the javelin throw F41, with a record for the event of 35.21 m in his sixth attempt, well above the previous record of 25.57 m set in Lima 2019 by Mexico’s Jesús Esteban Morales.
Also in parathletics, Leonardo Díaz finished as silver medalist in the discus throw F56, with a record of 37.35 m in his third attempt, according to the official website of the event.
In another sporting discipline, paranadador Yosjaniel Hernández won the bronze medal in the 50 m freestyle S7, with a time of 29.53 s, after qualifying second in the morning in his preliminary heat (30.45 s).
Moving on to parataekwondo, Lisbeth Rodriguez, 47 kilograms (kg), took one of the bronzes in her division, after losing in one of the semifinals with a score of 1-17 against Mexico’s Claudia Romero.
Rodriguez debuted with a comfortable 37-6 victory over Brazil’s Miriam Pio in the quarterfinals.
With this harvest, Cuba remains in seventh place in the medal standings, now with 11 gold, six silver and nine bronze medals, for a total of 26, ahead of Canada (5-9-15) in eighth place.
Brazil (112-63-67) dominates by country, far behind Colombia (34-44-37) and the United States (33-38-34), which complete the leading trio.
Mexico (23-31-39), Argentina (16-25-41) and Chile (13-17-10) occupy places four, five and six, in that order.
