Cuban Yamel Luis Vives valued as something very important the possibility of opening the medal table for his country at the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, with the silver in the 100 meters flat, T44 category.
In statements to the media, Vives, a native of the central Cuban town of Palmira, expressed his joy for the medal by marking a record for America of 11.20 seconds.
"I am super, super happy with this medal," said the Caribbean, who considered it very positive to be able to beat his personal record, established at the Swiss Open, with 11.35 seconds, a record that earned him his ticket to the Parisian event due to his position in the world ranking.
According to Vives, he never ran a race with such a full stadium and from the start he knew how to control the pressure to give it his all and be able to win a medal.
South African, Paralympic and world record holder, Mpumelelo Mhlongo won the race with a time of 11.12 seconds, and Malaysian Eddy Bernard (11.58) won the bronze.
The first vice president of the National Institute of Sports, Raúl Fornés, highlighted the performance of the sprinter so that the Cuban flag flew for the first time in the Parisian grand contest, scheduled until September 8, and announced that he will soon climb to the top of the flagpole at the Stade de France.
"I wave our national flag in #Paris2024, the first of other moments and that will very soon be in the center of the flagpoles accompanied by our national anthem. The protagonist: Yamel Luis Vives runner-up in the 100m T44 with a Record for America," wrote Fornés on his account on the social network X.
(Taken from Prensa Latina)
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