Paralympics: Venezuelan Clara Fuentes Sets Record in Weightlifting
Clara Fuentes, Sept. 2024. @Powerlifting
September 5, 2024 Hour: 10:13 am
‘I am very satisfied and happy to give this victory to Venezuela,’ said Fuentes.
On Thursday, the Venezuelan Clara Sarahy Fuentes Monasterio was crowned weightlifting champion in Paris after winning in the -50 kg category, setting a Paralympic record with a lift of 124 kg.
RELATED:
Paralympics: Fadi Al-Deeb is the Voice of Palestine in Paris 2024
Fuentes, a 27-year-old from Caracas, was born with congenital multiple arthrogryposis, a condition that caused her to be born in an abnormal position, leading to the rupture of the tendons in both knees, requiring her to use a wheelchair.
The Venezuelan athlete, who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, lifted 124 kg on her third attempt and took the gold, ahead of China’s Jinping Xiao, who lifted 119 kg.
“I am speechless, I am emotional. My hands are still shaking. I don’t know when they will stop. I am very satisfied and happy to give this victory to Venezuela,” said Fuentes, who moved up in weight from Tokyo to Paris to compete.
“My muscle mass increased significantly after having my son, so I had to move up a category and improve my personal record. I feel much stronger now,” she confessed.
This is Venezuela’s second gold medal in the Paralympic Games, following Enderson German Santos’ victory in the T11 100-meter race for visually impaired athletes.
“We woke up with a new victory for Venezuela. Our weightlifter, Clara Fuentes, won the gold medal in Parapower – category -50 Kg, lifting a total of 124 Kilograms, more than double her own weight, a record at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. A worthy representative of Venezuela! Congratulations!” President Nicolas Maduro said through social media.
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE