Four Cuban runners shone at Santiago's Mario Recordón Stadium in Chile, securing one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal in the 100-meter events. These achievements kick off Cuba's participation in the multi-sport competition, aimed at assessing its sports reserve. The athletes overcame personal challenges to place the island on the medal table.
On Monday, at the Mario Recordón Stadium in Santiago, Chile, Cuba showcased new hope and talent in athletics, the sport with the greatest historical weight in the Paralympic movement. Four Caribbean runners earned one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal in the 100-meter events.
Daumel Elizalde Dreke from Havana claimed gold in the T46 category—competitors with limited mobility in their upper limbs—and doubled his joy seeing his compatriot close behind. 'I dedicate this medal to my people, to all of Cuba,' the winner told Prensa Latina, while the runner-up, Jairon Bouza from Villa Clara, thanked those who helped him in training, which is always more complex when overcoming disability challenges.
In another 100-meter race in the same men's T46 classification, Osbiel Palacios from Pinar del Río took bronze with a time of 12.99 seconds. Due to the lack of official information, it is unclear why there were two finals in the category, but the achievements remain valid.
Finally, Tairemy Navarro (T11, totally blind) and her guide, Marcos Antonio Roldán, both from Camagüey, won silver in the 100 meters with 16.54 seconds, trailing Mexico's Zagia Camacho.
These performances placed the Greater Antilles on the multi-event competition's medal table, officially starting the quest for seventh place overall and an improvement over the Bogotá results two years ago by one position. However, the main objective is to evaluate the sports reserve, noting the names of those who turned efforts into medals during the Chilean event.