Cali 2025 GP Preview: Blade runner Sherman Guity leads star-studded field

Over the next four days, the spotlight will be on Cali as the Colombian city hosts its first ever World Para Athletics Grand Prix from 16 to 19 May at the Pedro Grajales Stadium.

The event will also mark the return of the Grand Prix to South America for the first time since 2019 and back-to-back events in Latin America after Jalisco in Mexico. Cali and Jalisco 2025 are two of the four new Grand Prix on this year’s World Para Athletics calendar. 

International stars 

A total of 243 athletes from 18 nations are confirmed for the fifth Grand Prix of the season with a galaxy of Paralympic and Paris 2024 stars in action. Costa Rica’s Sherman Guity, the Paris 2024 champion in the men’s 100m and 200m T64 events, is one of the biggest names in Cali. 

Guity, also the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medallist in the 200m T64 and Kobe 2024 world champion in the 100m T64, will be aiming to open the season in a spectacular fashion considering the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi are just four months away.

Meanwhile, USA will also come with a strong team which includes two-time Paralympic champion Jaydin Blackwell, who won gold in the men’s 100m and 400m T38 in Paris.

Noah Malone is another Paris 2024 gold medallist (men’s 100m T12) in the team which will also have one of their top female stars, five-time Paralympic medallist Brittni Mason, competing in the 100m and 200m T47 races in Cali.

Cuba’s 14-member team will be led by Robiel Yankiel Sol, a two-time Paralympic champion in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, in the men’s long jump T47.

Trinidad and Tobago will have their main star Akeem Stewart, a three-time Paralympic medallist, competing in the men’s discus F64. Stewart has a gold medal from Rio 2016 to his name, one of the only two Paralympic athletes from his country to have won gold in the Games.

Not to forget, the largest visiting side Mexico which will field 40 athletes in Cali less than a week after the home Jalisco GP. The team includes Rosa Carolina Castro, a Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist in the women’s discus F38.

¡Qué chimba! 🔥

The Grand Prix comes to 🇨🇴Colombia for the first time! #Cali2025:

🏃🏾‍♀️243 athletes
🌎18 countries
🗓️16 to 19 May#ParaAthletics @COLParalimpico @amparalympics

— Para Athletics (@ParaAthletics) May 14, 2025

Strong neighbours

Colombia’s neighbouring country, Brazil will have their Paralympic stars as well with Elizabeth Gomes – Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 champion in the women’s discus F53 –, one of the names to watch out for. 

A former wheelchair basketball player who represented Brazil at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, Gomes is also a Paris silver medallist in the women’s shot put F54.

The team will also have Julio Cesar Agripino who will run the men’s 1500m T11, in which he is the reigning world champion from Kobe 2024 and took bronze in Paris 2024. In women’s contest, Wanna Brito will be the favourite in the women’s shot put F32, an event she won the gold at the Kobe 2024 Worlds and took the silver in Paris 2024.  

In Cali, she will also compete in the women’s club throw F32.

Another neighbour, Ecuador, is travelling to Colombia with a Paris 2024 champion. Kiara Rodriguez is the reigning Paralympic gold medallist in the women’s 100m T47 and long jump T47.

📰 Jalisco 2025 Grand Prix Review 📰

🇲🇽Mexican stars dominate track and field events during the four-day World Para Athletics Grand Prix➡️

📲https://t.co/atBMtXPbKq#ParaAthletics @COPAME @Paralympics

— Para Athletics (@ParaAthletics) May 13, 2025

Home hopes  

The hosts will have all their five athletes who won gold at Paris 2024 competing in Cali in their medal events: Erica Castano (women’s discus F55), Jose Gregorio Lemos (men’s javelin F38), Jhon Obando Asprilla (men’s 400m T20), Mauricio Valencia (men’s shot put F34) and Karen Palomeque, the double gold medallist in women’s 100m T38 and the women’s 400m T38. Palomeque will be competing in only women’s 100m T38 in Cali.

Gregorio Lemos and Valencia also have medals from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Where to watch?

The Cali 2025 Grand Prix will be streamed live on YouTube. Don’t miss a single second of the action!

Also keep an eye on our social media channels to follow the very best of the action from Cali as it happens as well.