Fastest in the world: Cuban sprinter Omara Durand aims for gold rush in Rio
After three years out and the birth of her baby daughter, the talented Cuban is back for more Paralympic glory
Durand is aiming for a hat-trick of gold medals at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games (Photo: Getty Images/Warren Little)
Cuban sprinter Omara Durand is back for more Paralympic glory, aiming for another triple set of gold medals this September at Rio 2016.
In August 2015, the visually impaired 24-year-old clinched three Parapan Am Games titles in Toronto, Canada, before going on to win three world golds in Doha, Qatar two months later.
Durand lowered the 100m, 200m and 400m T12 world records on her way to triple gold in the Middle East. (Photo: Getty Images/Alexandre Loureiro)
Comeback journey
Durand’s stand-out performances last year confirmed she is back to full fitness after a three-year sabbatical from the track and the birth of her daughter Erika.
The visually impaired sprinter became the fastest female Paralympian in the world when she clocked 11.65 seconds in the heats of the 100m in the T12 class in Toronto. She has since lowered the mark to 11.48.
The Cuban star clinched three Parapan Am Games titles in Toronto, Canada, before going on to win three world golds in Doha, Qatar (Photos: Getty Images/Alexandre Loureiro).
After that successful comeback, Durand feels ready to show the world once again why she is the fastest on the planet.
“I am fully focussed on giving my best and, hopefully, reaching the Paralympic podium in the three races,” Durand told the International Paralympic Committee.
“My main goal is to run the fastest I can. I cannot say if I will break the world records or not, which is something that will be seen on the track once in Rio.
“I am so much looking forward to the Paralympic Games to start, I am sure it will be a fabulous spectacle.”
Durand believes that motherhood has given her even more strength (Photos: Getty Images/Alexandre Loureiro)
Ukraine’s Oxana Boturchuk, China’s Guohua Zhou and Azerbaijan’s Elena Chebanu are likely to be Durand’s main contenders, but if the Cuban performs to the best of her abilities, it will undoubtedly prove difficult for her rivals to defeat her. Durand prefers to remain cautious, though.
“All the athletes that compete at a Paralympic Games are strong, including the ones that will run against me,” she said.
“I am training very hard and expect the three races to be very competitive ones.”
Rio 2016 will be Durand’s third Paralympic Games. She competed at Beijing 2008 as a precocious16-year-old, but an injury forced her out of the competition.
Resilient character
Durand bounced back at the 2011 world championships in Christchurch, New Zealand, winning the 200m and 400m T13 races.
At London 2012, the Cuban sprinter again showed outstanding form to win her first two Paralympic golds, in the 100m and 400m.
Rio rebirth
With Rio 2016 fast approaching, Durand believes that motherhood has given her even more strength and she is more ready than ever to achieve her goals.
“I have become a stronger woman since I gave birth to my daughter and have a stronger desire to improve both as an athlete and as a person. I enjoy both responsibilities very much,” she said.
