Thursday, November 23rd, 2023.- The female's F57 shot put (for seated competitors) crowned Mexican María de los Ángeles Ortiz with the gold medal at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games this Thursday afternoon.  

The 50-year-old North American, who holds the Parapan American record set at Lima 2019 at 10.57 meters, secured the gold medal with a throw of 10.39 meters on her third attempt, surpassing American athlete Christina Lynn Gardner, who achieved a distance of 9.34 meters in the fourth throw. Brazil's representative, Julyana da Silva, closed the podium with a distance of 9.32 meters. 

“La Leona,” as she's nicknamed in her country, now has four titles in the continental event. Alongside her victories in Santiago and Lima, she celebrated victories in Guadalajara 2011, where she also earned silver in the discus throw, and Toronto 2015. 

This latest success adds to her gold medals in shot put at the Paralympic Games in London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016, along with a silver in Beijing 2008. 



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