Saturday, November 25th, 2023.- What a great way to close Brazil's remarkable participation in Para athletics at Santiago 2023 than with gold medals in the male's 200m T37 (cerebral palsy) and the male's 1,500m T11 (visual impairment), thanks to Ricardo Gomes and Julio César Agripino. 

In the 200m, the podium was a repeat of the 100m in the same class. Gomes, with a time of 22.51 seconds, led ahead of his compatriot Christian Luis (23.02) and Colombian Giovanny Malombo (23.65), who was also second in the 400m. Additionally, Gomes surpassed the Parapan American record of another compatriot, Vitor de Jesus, whose time of 23.53 was set in Lima 2019. 

"I have a sense of accomplishment. I came here wanting to repeat what I did at the World Championships, thanks to a lot of effort and teamwork," commented Gomes, also a gold medalist in the 100m and 200m at the Paris World Championships, as well as bronze in the 4x100m relay. 

In the 1,500m T11, Agripino also broke the continental record, previously held by Canadian Jonathan Dunkerley since Rio 2007. The winner, who had won bronze in the 5,000m, clocked a time of 4:04.32, surpassing his compatriot Yeltsin Ortega (4:06.22), gold in the 5,000m, and Peruvian Rosbil Guillén (4:15.41), silver in the 5,000m. The same podium, in a different order. 

"I was nervous, but then I transformed, and this gold medal happened," said Agripino, who had previously won silver in the 5,000m at the Paris World Championships (he was the champion in Dubai 2019 in the 1,500m). 

With this result, the Para athletics of Santiago 2023 concludes, where, like the entire event, Brazil was the dominant force with 34 gold medals, 27 silver, and 22 bronze, for a total of 83. Colombia followed with 18 gold, 16 silver, and 12 bronze, and the United States with 16, 22, and 16. 

Written by Macarena Navias; tranlate by Paulette Beertín / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
Photo by Marcelo Hernández / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport