Who should be Americas ‘Athlete of the Month’? | 5

Canada’s Brian McKeever, Panama’s Enrique Ornano, El Salvador’s Fernando Fuentes, Guatemala’s Oscar Raxon, Nicaragua’s Gabriel Cuadra Holmann and the USA’s Oksana Masters are the six shortlisted Para athletes for the Americas ‘Athlete of the Month’ poll for January 2018.

The public are invited to vote for their winner via the Americas Paralympic Committee homepage and have time to do so until Tuesday (13 February).

The nominations are:

Brian McKeever, Canada, Nordic skiing

With his guide Graham Nishikawa, McKeever won two golds in the men’s cross-country middle-distance and cross-country sprint vision impaired; and silver in the long distance at the second World Cup in Oberried, Germany.

Enrique Ornano, Panama, athletics

Helped Panama finish as the most decorated country at the Para Central American Games in Managua, Nicaragua by taking two gold medals in the men’s 200m and 400m T36.

Fernando Javier Fuentes, El Salvador, swimming

Claimed quadruple gold in the men’s 50m backstroke; 50m and 100m freestyle; and 50m butterfly S9 at Managua 2018, leaving as El Salvador’s most decorated athlete of the Games.

Gabriel Cuadra Holmann, Nicaragua, athletics

The Parapan American bronze medallist and two-time Paralympian shone in front of his home crowd at Managua 2018 by winning gold in the men’s 800m and 1,500m T38.

Oksana Masters, USA, Nordic skiing

Swept all three gold medals in the women’s cross-country sprint, middle-distance and long-distance sitting events, and added a gold medal in biathlon sprint at the Oberried World Cup.

Oscar Raxon, Guatemala, athletics

Won three of Guatemala’s seven gold medals at Managua 2018 after finishing first in the men’s 800m, 1,500m and 5,000m T11 vision impaired.

The nominations are compiled from submissions by National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) from across the continent.