Cubans Durand and Yankiel win gold at 2023 World Parathletics Cup

HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 14 (ACN) Cuban star sprinter Omara Durand won the gold medal in the 400 meters (m), category T12 (profound visual impairment), at the World Parathletics Championships in Paris, France.

Durand, universal record holder in the 100, 200 and 400 m, and winner of eight gold medals in Paralympic Games, along with her guide Yuniol Kindelan, completed in 52.82 seconds (s), which is her best time of the current season.

With that long-awaited performance, the queen of speed revalidated her Dubai 2019 crown and increased to 12 her collection of titles in those scenarios; while she approached her record for world events of 52.75 seconds, achieved in the London 2017 edition.
She also guaranteed her ticket to the Paralympic event in Paris in 2024.

Venezuelan Alejandra Perez (57.88 s) and Italian Valentina Petrillo (58.24 s), completed the podium with silver and bronze respectively.

At the same time, the Cuban Robiel Yankiel Sol Cervantes won Cuba's first gold medal in this competition, with a competition record of 7.63m.

Sol Cervantes fulfilled the expectations that gave him as the maximum contender for the crown in the long jump of the T47 category (upper limb affected), and proved once again his excellent performance this year 2023.

With his performance in the Charléty stadium, the outstanding Cuban paratriathlete was only eight centimeters away from his world primacy achieved in early June at the 5th Parapan American Youth Games, held in Bogota, Colombia, where he triumphed with 7.71 meters.