Leinier Savon Pineda

The Cuban finished his first Paralympic Games in Rio as a two-time Paralympic champion after winning both the 100m and 200m T12 events.

The world started to take notice of the visually impaired sprinter after a superb display at both the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games and the 2015 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

At the Parapan Am Games Savon clinched a sprint double, winning the 100m and 200m T12 well clear of his rivals in both events. He also won silver in the long jump T11/12 just 11 centimetres behind Lex Gillette, a multiple Paralympic silver medallist and the 2013 world champion.

Savon looked in magnificent form once again as he repeated his golden sprint double in Doha. He won the 100m (10.82), having set a new Championship record (10.77) in the heats, and was victorious in the 200m (22.14) with an Americas record.

At Rio 2016 he set a season’s best 10.89 in the 100m heats and won gold in the final with a time of 10.97. Over 200m he edged a thrilling final from South Africa’s Hilton Langenhovern with a time of 22.23.