Less than one month after setting a new world record, Cuba’s Omara Durand won the 100m Sprint during the sporting festival held in Río de Janeiro, Brazil, marking exactly one year until the launch of the Paralympic Games.
Durand, who clocked a time of 11.65 seconds in the T12 100m of the Para Pan American Games in Toronto on August 10, crossed the finish line in 11.74 seconds at the Parque dos Patines, next to Río’s Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas.
Durand secured a win for Cuba over Brazil’s Teresina Guillermina (12.24s) and compatriot Yunidis Castillo (12.48s).
Thus, the two athletes from Santiago de Cuba, qualified for the forthcoming Paralympic Games scheduled to take place September 7-8, 2016, with some 4,350 competitors from 170 countries due to compete across 22 events, according to an announcement by the President of the International Paralympic Committee, Sir Philip Craven, from the South American city.
Castillo stated that she had hoped for a quicker time, eventually getting into her stride after a slow start.
”I’m taking care of myself for the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in October, which is my main goal,” stated the five-times Paralympic champion and London 2012, T46 100m record holder (11.95s).
The festival in Brazil combined high level sporting events, cultural and educational activities, music, dance and workshops in order to familiarize the public with sports for people with visual and physical disabilities.
Highlights of the event included the sprint heats between top-level athletes with varying disabilities, and a five-a-side soccer match between visually impaired players from the two best teams in the world, Brazil and Argentina.
Beforehand, the President of the Río de Janeiro 2016 Organizing Committee, Carlos Arthur Nuzman said: “In one year’s time, at the Maracaná Stadium, we will celebrate the opening of the first Paralympic Games to be held in Latin America.
We are currently carrying out final preparations to accommodate the best athletes on the planet. We will see unforgettable moments of true sporting excellence in Río and I’m sure that the Brazilian people will extend their world famous warm and friendly welcome to all athletes.” (Jit)
