Parapan Debut World Record for Samuel at Santiago 2023

The Santiago 223 Parapan Am Games concluded the events for athletes with intellectual impairments, with Brazil maintaining its dominance and securing the top spot on the medal tally.

Athletics

Anticipation ran high for a thrilling showdown between Brazil’s Oliveira Samuel and Obando Jhon Sebastian (COL), the fastest men emerging from Thursday’s heats. The audience was not disappointed as Oliveira and Obando engaged in a fierce battle throughout the race.

Clocking in at 46 seconds, Samuel who is competing in his first Parapan games, clinched the gold, outpacing Obando by 0.31 seconds. Notably, Oliveira shattered the World Record, setting a new mark at 46.48 seconds, surpassing Daniel Martin’s 2019 record.

Expressing his joy, Samuel remarked,

“I never imagined I could beat Daniel’s (Tavares) record. I always train with him and this is a dream that is being realized. It’s a lot of happiness, I can’t even describe what I’m feeling,”

Rodriguez Luis Felipe (VEN) settled for the third spot.

Swimming

Ana Soares (BRA) exceeded expectations at the Santiago 2023 Parapan Games. Adding another gold to her collection in the S14 100m Butterfly finals, Ana achieved a remarkable hat-trick of gold medals. Her victory in the finals was comfortable, outpacing competitors Salina Citli (MEX) and Morrier Justine (CAN).

Virtus congratulates all the winners and hopes to see them in the 2026 Virtus Americas Games in Peru.