Silver medallist Nikol Rodomakina of Russia, gold medallist Yunidis Castillo of Cuba and bronze medallist Yanping Wang of China pose on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Women's 100m T46 Final at the London Paralympics
© • Getty Images
Yunidis Castillo of Cuba competes in the Women's 200m - T46 at the Paralympic Games in London
© • Getty Images
Castillo, one of the world’s fastest Paralympians, showed exactly why she is nicknamed ‘Queen of Speed’ at London 2012 winning three gold medals and setting three new world records.
In the 100m heats, she smashed her own world record clocking 11.95. Although she went slightly slower in the final (12.01) she still took gold ahead of Russia’s 19 year old European Champion Nikol Rodomakina (12.49).
She broke another world record (22.45) to win 200m gold and did the same days later in the 400m final (55.72) to become Cuba’s most successful Paralympian of all-time with five gold medals.
Born in eastern province of Santiago de Cuba in 1987, Castillo lost her right arm in a car accident aged 10. At the time she took part in judo. After a long recovery process she took up athletics in 2000 and was classified in the T46 class.
She made her Paralympic Games debut in Athens in 2004 where she finished 13th in the long jump F44-46.
Two years later at the 2006 IPC Athletics World Championships in the Netherlands she took home two golds in the 100m (12.63) and 200m (25.17).
Also sometimes referred to as “The Bullet”, Castillo proved her quality at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. She claimed two gold medals and set new world records in the 100m (12.04) and 200m (24.72).
In New Zealand at the 2011 World Championships she won a hat-trick of T46 sprint events taking gold in the 100m (12.20), 200m (24.86) and 400m (57.67) sprints.
After an unforgettable London 2012, she will be looking to retain her world titles in Lyon, France in 2013, however with Russia’s Nikol Rodomakina maturing with age she may soon face some stiff competition.
