Tuesday, November 21st, 2023.- Para Athletics raised the curtain at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games, with the Centro Atlético Mario Recordón dressed up to experience an exciting opening day. 

The program commenced with the female's class 11 discus throw (visual impairment), crowning Brazil's representative, Izabela Silva, with the gold medal. Silva threw 38.23 meters on her first attempt. 

The para-athlete is the reigning South American champion in this discipline and arrived at Santiago 2023 after securing victory in last July's South American Championship in Sao Paulo. 

The silver medal went to Colombian Yesenia Restrepo, with a best throw of 35.63 meters, while Argentinian Florencia Romero closed the podium with 26.32 meters. 

In the male's class 57 shot put (competing seated), the gold was claimed by Brazil's Thiago Paulino with a throw of 15.17 meters. The silver medal was won by his compatriot Marco Lima, who threw 13.74 meters, and the bronze went to Colombia's Flavio Teherán with 12.96 meters. 

Paulino thus confirmed his status as one of the favorites after securing the bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. 

In the female's F20 shot put (intellectual impairment), Ecuador's para-athlete Poleth Mendes secured gold with a throw of 13.91 meters on her fifth attempt. 

The silver medal was claimed by her compatriot Grecely Padilla (12.05 meters), while the bronze went to the representative from the Dominican Republic, Diana Vivenes (5.87 meters). 

Written by Ernesto Bustos B. – Paula Vivanco; translated by Vicente Valdivia / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
Ph: Javier Salvo / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport