#APCTop20 - No.4: Omara Durand's triple gold comeback

“Toronto 2015 was the perfect comeback, a resurgence of motivation for me and the beginning of the best stage of my sporting career.”

Shortly after claiming a hat-trick of titles at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Omara Durand gave birth to her daughter Erika thus decided to take a three-year sabbatical from the tracks to devote herself fully to her baby.

In 2015, the Cuban made an outstanding comeback at the Parapan American Games in Toronto, Canada, claiming three golds and sending out the message to the world that the best version of Durand had returned.

As we approach the Americas Paralympic Committee’s (APC) 20th anniversary on 1 August, Omara Durand’s performance at Toronto 2015 comes in at No.6 at the APC Top 20 Moments in History.

The world’s fastest female Paralympian began her quest for triple gold with a title in the women’s 100m T12, setting a world record of 11.65 along the way. She followed that up with another gold in the 400m T12.

In the 200m T12, she broke the world record in the heats (23.87) and then again in the final (23.67) to seal her third successive title and repeating the feat from the Rio 2007 Parapans, when she also took three golds.

“Toronto 2015 was the perfect comeback, a resurgence of motivation for me and the beginning of the best stage of my sporting career,” said Durand.

“I had been training hard for months before competing at the Parapan American Games but still was a bit unsure considering the long period I had not competed. But everything went well.”

Only two months later, the 25-year-old again won three titles at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, confirming who the world’s best was.

In 2016, Durand extended her winning streak by claiming triple gold at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.