Sprinter Durand opens Cuban performance in Paralympics

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Sep 8 (acn) The sprinter Omara Durand will today be the first competitor for Cuba in the 15th Paralympic Games in this Brazilian city, on a day in which the fivefold champion Yunidis Castillo and weightlifter Leidys Rodriguez will also be present.

The disclosed competitive program confirmed the appearance of Durand in the first heat of the women´s T12 100 meters at Joao Havelange Stadium, headquarter of athletics event.
Durand, world record holder with 11.48 seconds, set last October 28th in Doha, Qatar-, will face Spanish Sara Fernandez and Algerian Lynda Hanri, both with records far distant from hers.
As in this event athletes can compete with a guide, Durand will be accompanied by Yuniol Kindelan, a combination that has reported her the fastest times in all the three speed events.
Ukrainian Oksana Boturchuk, the other Paralympic runner able to cover the distance in less than 12 seconds, should be Durand´s toughest rival in the final.
Meanwhile, the weightlifter Rodriguez, Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games monarch in the 41 kg division, will make her debut at Riocentro Complex, although she will enormously have to improve her record to get close to the favorites: Indonesian Ni Nengah Widiasih and Syrian Noura Baddour.
Finally, the multi-champion Castillo will reappear in the women´s F47 long jump.
She has a record of 5.46 meters which places her second among the other competitors, only behind Australian Carlee Beattie (6.01).
Castillo did not participate in this event since Athens 2004, although she finished second in last year´s world championship with the aforementioned record.
The Cuban athlete will have an active participation as she will try to match her feat of London 2012 on the track, where she won the T46 100, 200 and 400 meters events.