During five days, the Centro Atletico Mario Recordon at the National Stadium Complex in Chilean capital Santiago will host the best of Para athletics in over 110 medal events.
Para athletics has been part of the Parapan Am programme in all seven editions, since the inaugural Games in Mexico City 1999.
Eight Para athletics world records were set in the last Parapan Am Games at Lima 2019.
Here is how to follow and all you need to know about the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games.
Schedule
Day one will see 24 champions crowned. The men’s long jump T11/12 is the first on the schedule. Cuba’s Leinier Savon is the defending champion from Lima 2019.
But it is another Cuban athlete that will be among the highlights of day one. Omara Durand was one of the flag bearers in the Opening Ceremony and will be chasing more gold in the women’s 200m T12.
The Santiago 2023 Para athletics competition schedules can be found below.
Day one (Tuesday, 21 November)
Day two (Wednesday, 22 November)
Day thee (Thursday, 23 November)
Day four (Friday, 24 November)
Day five (Saturday, 25 November)
Ones to Watch
Cuba’s Durand will arrive in Santiago to wrap up a fantastic 2023 season that saw her pick a hat-trick of golds at the Paris 23 World Championships in July (women’s 100m, 200m and 400m T12).
The Cuban sprinter also collected three golds in her last two participations at the Parapan Am Games (Toronto 2015 and Lima 2019).
Brazil topped the medals table in Para athletics at Lima 2019 with 33 golds and 82 podium finishes. Petrucio Ferreira was responsible for two of those gold medals with his victories in the men’s 100m and 400m T47.
Back-to-back Paralympic and world champion in the 100m he is in a league of his own.
Colombia’s Karin Palomeque will be making her Parapan American Games debut and aiming for more glory after her outstanding performances at the World Championships in Paris.
The Colombian picked three gold medals (women’s 100m, 200m and 400m T37) and broke two world records in the French capital (100m and 200m).
Canada’s world champions will be absent in Santiago but Paris 23 silver medallist Noah Vucsics is a name to watch. He missed gold at the Worlds for only 5 centimetres in the men’s long jump T20. This year’s Parapan Am is also his first.
The women’s T47 will see in action a Venezuelan star who had her breakthrough at Lima 2019. Lisbeli Andrade took gold in the 400m in Peru and two years later was on the top of the Paralympic podium in Tokyo in the women’s 100m and 200m T47.
Local hopefuls
Hosts Chile will be represented by 13 athletes in Para athletics with one defending Parapan American champion and a Paralympic gold medallist among them.
Mauricio Orrego gave Chile its only Para athletics victory at Lima 2019 in the men’s 1500m T46. Francisca Mardones put Chile on top of the podium at Tokyo 2020 in the women’s shot put F54.
Mardones was also the Chilean medallist at this year’s World Championships with a bronze on the same event.
Veteran Cristian Valenzuela is a London 2012 Paralympic champion and a national hero. He was chosen to light the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony in Santiago.
Newcomer from ice
The Parapan American Games will mark the international debut of a Canadian athlete who was used to the ice rinks. Billy Bridges is Canada’s most successful Para ice hockey player and has entered the world of Para athletics in 2023. He will Billy Bridges will compete in throwing events at the F55 class.
Beijing 2022 was his sixth Paralympic Winter Games and Bridges won his fourth career Paralympic medal – and second straight silver for Canada in Para ice hockey.
How to follow
Beijing 2022 was his sixth Paralympic Winter Games and Bridges won his fourth career Paralympic medal – and second straight silver for Canada in Para ice hockey.