Paralympics: Venezuelan Para-Athlete Santos Wins Gold in 400 Meters
Enderson Santos (L) and his guide Eubrig Maza (R), Sept. 2, 2024. Photo: X/ @Deportetotalven
September 2, 2024 Hour: 12:50 pm
‘I am proud to see the first Venezuelan man to win gold at the Paralympic Games,’ President Maduro stressed.
On Monday, Venezuelan para-athlete Enderson Santos won gold in the 400 meters in the T11 category, which is for athletes with extreme visual impairment who require a guide.
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Santos, who had previously won a silver medal at the Santiago 2023 Para-Pan American Games, completed his race with the help of his guide, Eubrig Maza. Upon hearing the news, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro congratulated Santos and Maza for winning the gold medal with a time of 50.58s.
“I am proud to see the first Venezuelan man to win gold at the Paralympic Games. My hug and congratulations, boys,” the Bolivarian leader said, highlighting that parathletes are an example of overcoming and worth.
“They have shown that with love, discipline and dedication everything is possible. Tremendous final!” Maduro added, referring to Santos, who previously won a silver medal at the Santiago 2023 Para-Pan American Games and also stood out at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games, where he won a bronze medal in the 400 meters.
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games have seen remarkable achievements by other Latin American athletes. Brazil leads the regional podium with nine gold medals, six silver, and 15 bronze.
Among its most notable achievements is Gabriel dos Santos Araujo’s victory in swimming, category S2, which is for swimmers with very limited coordination of the torso, legs, and hands, and with a low level of arm mobility. Araujo won gold in the 100-meter backstroke, surpassing his opponents with a time of 50.93 seconds, a triumph he celebrated with great emotion.
Colombia follows on the table with three gold medals, two silver, and four bronze. The Colombian delegation has shown great performance in disciplines such as cycling and athletics, particularly standing out in the T47 category.
Behind Mexico, Argentina ranks fourth among Latin American countries with one gold medal and two bronze. Swimmer Iñaki Basiloff, competing in the SM7 category for athletes with physical disabilities affecting multiple limbs, won gold in the 200-meter Medley.
This category combines the four swimming styles (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle) and is one of the most challenging in the Paralympic program. Basiloff, 23 years old, achieved a time of 2 minutes, 29 seconds, and 81 milliseconds, securing his place at the top of the podium.
On Monday, the Mexican delegation celebrated its first gold medal at Paris, thanks to the outstanding performance of shot putter Gloria Garza in the F54 category. Garza, who had won the silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, achieved a mark of 8.06 meters on her second attempt.
The F54 category at the Paralympic Games refers to athletics competitions for athletes with disabilities that severely affect lower body mobility due to spinal cord injuries or amputations. Athletes in this category compete in wheelchairs and typically participate in throwing events such as shot put, discus, and javelin, using upper body strength to make their throws.
The 40-year-old athlete’s victory in Paris not only earned her the gold medal but also brought Mexico’s total number of Paralympic medals to 105 in its history, and the ninth in this edition of the games.
Meanwhile, Cuban sprinter Yamel Luis Vives secured the first medal for his country at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games by winning silver in the final of the 100 meters, category T44. He crossed the finish line with a time of 11.20 seconds, achieving his first podium finish at a Paralympic event. The T44 category includes athletes with leg amputations who use prosthetics to compete.
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE