SP2017: Champions to be crowned in nine sports

Medal winners will be decided in athletics, boccia, football 5, goalball, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis on 24 March. 24 Mar 2017
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Athlete in water with goggles competes in backstroke

Sao Paulo 2017 - swimming

ⒸLeandro Martins-MPIX-CPB.
By IPC

An action-packed day at the 2017 Youth Parapan American Games will see medal winners decided in nine sports on Friday (24 March), the penultimate day of competition in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

New champions will be crowned in athletics, boccia, football 5-a-side, goalball, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.

After winning two golds at Sao Paulo 2017, Colombia´s Rio 2016 athletics silver medallist Luis Lucumi is confident of further success in the men´s javelin F38.

Ecuador are also hopeful of adding more to their three golds at the Youth Parapans through Damian Carcelen in the men´s long jump T20 and Alejandra Padilla in the women´s 400m T20.

In one of the most anticipated matches, Argentina and Brazil will face off in the football 5-a-side final. “It is very important to have reached the gold-medal match,” said Brazilian head coach Fabio Vasconcelos. “We know it will be a tough game, but we expect to achieve the victory.”

Colombia´s Sao Paulo 2017 multiple-swimming champion Maria Paula Barrera seeks to win her fifth gold in the women´s 400m freestyle S10.

All eyes will also be on the table tennis competition, with the gold medal winners of the team events being decided. Brazil´s Rio 2016 bronze medallist Danielle Rauen will go for the title in the women´s 6-10 class, alongside Lethicia Rodrigues and Iolanda Maia.

“I hope to finish this competition in a great way by winning my second gold after claiming the singles title,” said Rauen. “The Youth Parapans are a fantastic event, I am sad this will be my second and last time participating due to my age.”

Argentina´s junior world No.2 Antonella Pralong will be another of the stand-out athletes competing on Friday. She will play the women´s singles final against Brazil´s Maria Alves.

The women´s wheelchair basketball competition will be one of the most attractive events of the day. Chile will play against Peru, with the winner facing Argentina in the final later today.

The men´s tournament semi-finals will also take place, with Brazil playing against Colombia, and Argentina facing Mexico.

Brazil currently tops the overall medal standings with 53 golds, 32 silvers and 25 bronzes. They are followed by Colombia (39 golds), Mexico (18) and Argentina (13).

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Sao Paulo 2017 will run until 25 March and features over 800 athletes from 19 countries competing across 12 sports: athletics, boccia, football 5, football 7, goalball, judo, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.

The last edition at Buenos Aires 2013 attracted more than 600 athletes from 16 countries, who competed across 10 sports. Brazil topped the medal table and 15 countries reached the podium at least once.

Barquisimeto, Venezuela, staged the inaugural edition in 2005, with athletes from 10 countries competing, whilst a total of 14 countries attended the event in Bogota, Colombia, in 2009.

For more information, visit Sao Paulo 2017’s website.