Ten track and field athletes for Toronto 2015

The 2015 Parapan American Games get underway in Toronto, Canada in three days’ time, with the track and field action starting on Monday 10 August at the CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletics Stadium, part of the Toronto Track & Field Centre at York University.

A host of para-stars from the Americas will be hoping to strike gold – here are just 10 of the key competitors to look out for:

1. Yunidis Castillo (Cuba)

Cuba’s five-time Paralympic champion heads to Toronto hoping to successfully defend the T46 sprint title she won in Mexico four years ago. The 28-year-old, who also clinched 100m, 200m and 400m gold at the 2013 World Championships, gave birth to her son Gabriel earlier this year and returned to competitive racing at June’s Grosseto Grand Prix in Italy – where she clocked 13.55.

2. Brent Lakatos (Canada)

The home favourite and quadruple world champion will line up in the 100m, 400m and 800m T53 in Canada as he competes in his first ever Parapan American Games. Lakatos holds the world record in the 100m T53 – and he is hopeful that the support of the local crowds will help him go even faster.

3. Richard Browne (USA)

The 100m T44 world record holder is in terrific form this year; in fact, he is unbeaten since 2013. The 24-year-old clinched gold at the IPC Grand Prix Final in London, Great Britain, last month – just days after clocking a world lead 10.72 seconds in Finland. He’ll be up against a tough field in Canada including his compatriot Jarryd Wallace and Brazil’s Alan Oliveira.

4. Chelsea McClammer (USA)

The American T53 wheelchair racer sits second in the world rankings over 400m and 800m this year and tops the T53 rankings over 1,500m after clocking an impressive 3:23.33 in Arbon, Switzerland, in June. Four years ago at the last Parapan American Games she was one of the most successful athletes winning five gold medals and one silver; she will be hard to beat this time around too.

5. Terezinha Guilhermina (Brazil)

The Brazilian has dominated T11 sprinting since winning 200m gold and 100m silver at the World Championships in 2006. Since then the 36-year-old has notched up a further seven world gold medals as well as Paralympic titles over 100m and 200m. Wins on home soil at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil earlier this year showed she is still hungry for success.

6. Maria de los Angeles Ortiz (Mexico)

The reigning world and Paralympic shot put champion (F58) threw what was then a world record 11.24m to clinch gold at the Parapan American Games in her home country of Mexico four years ago. Ortiz currently sits second in the global rankings after throwing 10.64m in Brazil earlier this year.

7. Omar Monterola (Venezuela)

The 27-year-old sprinter will be hoping to hold on to the titles he won at the 2011 Parapan American Games. Monterola followed up his gold medals in the 100m and 200m (T37) in Mexico with a bronze over 200m at the 2012 Paralympic Games in Great Britain, then 100m T37 bronze at the 2013 World Championships in France. He will be aiming for the podium once again.

8. Alphanso Cunningham (Jamaica)

Cunningham won the discus F51/52/53 at Guadalajara 2011 as well as silver in the javelin F52/53. Indeed the 34-year-old field eventer is no stranger to major event success, having topped the podium at both the 2004 and 2012 Paralympic Games where he clinched discus F53 and javelin F52/53 gold respectively. Two years ago Cunningham won world gold in the javelin F52/53 with a world record throw of 24.30m – a record that still stands today.

9. Hernan Barreto (Argentina)

Reigning champion in both the 100m and 200m T35, the 25-year-old sprinter has continued to impress on the track, winning 200m bronze at the 2012 Paralympics, then two more bronze medals in the sprints at the 2013 World Championships. Barreto currently tops the world rankings in both the 100m and 200m (T35) and is sure to line up as the favourite to win once again.

10. Jessica Cooper Lewis (Bermuda)

The 22-year-old wheelchair racer was Bermuda’s flag bearer at the 2011 Parapan American Games in 2011, where she competed in the 100m, 200m and 400m (T53). The first track and field athlete to represent Bermuda at a major para-sports championships, Lewis will face stiff competition in Toronto as she comes up against defending champion Chelsea McClammer once again.

The track and field competition at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games will feature 377 athletes competing in 114 medal events between 10-14 August.

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