Omara Durand, a profoundly gifted athlete, aspires to win three more Paralympic titles in Tokyo.

Havana, July 14 (JIT) - Cuba's Omara Durand extended her golden harvest by dominating the 400-meter race (T12 category) at the Paris 2023 World Parathlon Championships.

Together with her guide Yuniol Kindelán, Omara stopped the clocks in 52.82 seconds, signed her best record of the year and relegated to the remaining places on the podium the Venezuelan Alejandra Pérez (57.88) and the Italian Valentina Petrillo (58.24).

With that result, the multi-champion maintained her reign of four years ago in Dubai 2019 and raised to 12 her crowns in this type of lids.

"We are very happy because it was also her best 400m race this year. Her time shows that she is in good shape for the events we have left," coach Miriam Ferrer told JIT as her pupil completed on the track the stretching and recovery exercises indicated by the physiotherapist.

"Everything is going well and she is in very good spirits," confirmed Ferrer, excited about the time that brings Omara closer to her best performances.

Omara holds the world record in the specialty: 51.77 seconds set at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Paralympic Games. Since the London 2017 event, she also holds the record for universal events: 52.75 seconds.

The Santiago native, nine-time Paralympic queen, will seek in the City of Light to also retain her leadership in the 100 and 200 meters. The eliminations in the hectometer are scheduled for this Friday and the semifinals and the final will be run a day later.

In addition to the gold in the 400 meters, Omara won the second qualification of a Cuban athlete for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The first of these passes was won by long jumper Robiel Yankiel Sol, crowned this Thursday morning with a championship record of 7.63 meters, in the T46 category.

Next Saturday there will also be performances for the Greater Antilles with Noraivis de las Heras in the shot put, category F64, and with javelinist Ulicer Aguilera (F13).