Paralympic Champion Omara Durand Receives Samaranch Award

Cuban World champion Omara Durand received today the Juan Antonio Samaranch Award of Athletic Excellency for her results in competitions for disabled athletes during 2016.

Durand, who received the prize from the president of the Cuban Institute of Sport, Carlos Becali, and his deputy Roberto León Richard, told Prensa Latina how proud she is of having this important laureate in her record.

'I am very happy to have made it here,' confirmed the runner-up in the sport class T12, a category for deep visual weaknesses.

She also commented that 2016 was full of important results with 'several world records in the three events in which I participate and three gold medals in the Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games, in addition to being nominated again to the Laureus Awards.'

The Caribbean racer won the titles in 100, 200 and 400 meters in Rio games, with world records included in the hectometer, with 11.40 seconds, and the 400m (51.77), in addition to another Paralympic award in the 200m (23.05).

With these results, the Cuban athlete collected five gold medals in this type of competitions added to the two medals achieved in class T13 of the London-2012 event.