Golden Moments and World Records: 6 Latin American Paralympic Athletes Bringing Home Gold
The 2024 Paralympic Games are underway in Paris, and the talent shown by the athletes has been top-notch.
Particularly, Latin American para-athletes have been setting new records in their categories. And their incredible feats have sparked celebrations around the world. From discus to swimming, we have pulled together golden moments from the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
Julio Cesar Agripino dos Santos shatters Paralympic records in the T11 5000M race
Agripino dos Santos, representing Brazil, brought home the gold medal in the T11 5K race at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. T11 is the category for totally or almost totally blind sports. The Brazilian athlete not only brought home the gold but also broke the world record for the event. Agripino dos Santos crossed the finish line at 14.48.85, beating the previous world record of 14.53.97.
For his part, José Gregorio Lemos set a new record in the Javelin throw
Meanwhile, José Gregorio Lemos, representing Colombia, entered the competition as the current world record holder for the F38 javelin throw after throwing 61.76 meters at the World Championships in May. F38 is the category for athletes with cerebral palsy. At the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, Lemos cruised to victory and set a new world record, throwing 63.81 meters to bring home the gold.
Brian Impellizzeri leaps to Paralympic Gold in T37 long jump
Similarly, Argentina’s Brian Impellizzeri came to the 2024 Paralympic Games with high hopes, having secured the silver medal in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. T37 is a category for athletes with hypertonia, ataxia, and athetosis. Coming to the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, Impellizzeri had his eyes set on the gold medal, and with a long jump of 6.42 meters, the Argentina para-athlete clinched the gold medal.
Gloria Zarza Guadarrama secures Mexico’s first Gold in F54 shot put
Zarza Guadarrama, representing Mexico, was another para-athlete who took home silver at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. F54 is a category for athletes who compete in a seated position and includes multiple disabilities, including spinal injuries. With a throw of 8.04 meters, Zarza Guadarrama won the gold for the event and brought home the first gold of the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games for Mexico.
Erica Maria Castaño Salazar dominates F55 discus in a power move
Castaño Salazar, representing Colombia, had her eyes on the prize when she entered the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games competition. F55 is a category for athletes who compete in a seated position and have full arm function, partial trunk function, and no leg function. Castaño Salazar showed her power with a 26.07-meter shot put throw from her wheelchair, earning her a gold medal.
Gabriel dos Santos Araujo sweeps the Paralympic pool with three Golds in swimming
Finally, Dos Santos Araujo, representing Brazil, has captured the admiration and fanfare of Paralympic viewers with an astounding performance. S2 is a category for athletes with limited use of their arms and no or extremely limited use of their hands, legs, and trunk. This can include disabilities ranging from cerebral palsy to amputations. Dos Santos Araujo has won three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games in swimming and it has been an incredible moment to witness.
The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games began on August 29 and ended this weekend, September 7-8, with more action-packed sporting events. Congratulations to all the athletes competing!
