Friday, November 24th, 2023.- Gabriel Dos Santos of Brazil won the 100-meter freestyle in the S2 category (very limited coordination of the torso, legs, hands, and a low level of the arms), adding his fifth gold medal at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. 

Dos Santos, with a time of 1:56.61, secured first place and the gold medal, followed by the Chilean Alberto Abarza (2:04.54), who won silver, and Rodrigo Santillán from Peru (2:18.92), who claimed the bronze. 

Gabriel Dos Santos has become one of the standout figures of Santiago 2023, accumulating gold medals in 100 meters freestyle S2, 100 meters backstroke S2, 200 meters freestyle S2, 50 meters backstroke S2, and 50 meters freestyle S2. 

Additionally, the final of the 200 meters individual medley in the SM13 category (visual impairment) took place, where Brazilian Douglas Rocha won the event and set a new Parapan American record in the SM12 category with a time of 2:24.19 (the previous record belonged to Colombian Daniel Giraldo since Lima 2019 with 2:26.95). 

The silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley SM13 went to Daniel Giraldo of Colombia (2:27.62), and the bronze was awarded to William Rankine of the United States (2:30.48). 

The last final of the morning session at the Centro Acuático at the Estadio Nacional was the 50 meters butterfly S6 (swimmers with limited coordination on one side of the body, highly conditioned lower torso and legs, for swimmers of short stature, or without limbs), where Maraya Do Amaral of Brazil won gold with a new Parapan American record, clocking a time of 38:10 (the previous record was held by Sara Varga of Colombia, 40:48, since Lima 2019). 

Laila Suzigan, also from Brazil, took the silver medal with a time of 40:56, while the bronze medal went to the Mexican Karla Bravo, who recorded a time of 42:65. 




Written by Marcelo López; translated by Pía Barriga Ferry / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport 
Photo by Felipe Zanca / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport