Taekwondo

The Mexican delegation yesterday collected three medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, bringing the total to four, after Juan Diego García, Ángel Camacho and Rosa María Guerrero won bronze medals in parataekwondo, paraswimming and para-athletics, respectively.

Taekwondo athlete Juan Diego García took third place in the K44 category of under 70 kilograms after beating Japanese athlete Kudo Shunsuke 5-3.

In this way, the Culiacán, Sinaloa native, who managed to overcome a knee injury that kept him out of competitions for more than a year, obtained his second Paralympic medal, after having won gold in Tokyo 2020.

In the midst of a packed Grand Palais in Paris, the tricolor finished off his rival with a kick to the chest to decide the fight in his favor and win the third medal of the day.

On his way to bronze, Garcia defeated New Guinea’s Herea Loi in the round of 16 by a score of 19-0, thus advancing to the next round.

However, he fell in the quarterfinals to Uzbek Javokhir Alikulov 5-4. In the repechage round, he recovered and defeated Cuban Michel Suarez 17-10 before beating the Japanese and climbing onto the podium.

At the Défense Arena, 19-year-old swimmer Ángel Camacho won bronze (second of the day) in the 100-meter freestyle S4 category with a time of 1:22.32 minutes, setting a continental record.

Israeli Ami Omer Dadaon took gold (1:20.25), while Japanese Takayuki Suzuki took silver (1:21.71).

There are people who are born having it all, but there are others who work hard to get there. Bronze medal friends! I am very happy and pleased to get this great result, thank you very much for all your support.the native of León, Guanajuato, who also won a bronze medal in Tokyo 2020, published on his social networks.

Meanwhile, Rosa María Guerrero won the first bronze of the day, which represented the second medal for Mexico in Paris 2024, after the silver obtained on Thursday by swimmer Haidee Aceves, after finishing in third place in the F55 category discus throw final.

With a record of 25.81 meters, the 2023 world champion achieved her best mark of the season and revalidated the bronze medal from Tokyo 2020 in the same event.

The gold medal went to Colombian Erica María Castaño (26.70 meters), while the silver went to China’s Feixia Dong (26.67 meters).

In the competition held at the Stade de France, the Mexican achieved her best mark in the third throw. Her six records were: 24.99, 25.22, 25.81, 25.05, 19.49 and 24.93 meters.

In this final, which brought together 13 competitors, the young María Guadalupe Navarro, 17 years old, finished in seventh place with a mark of 21.66 meters that she achieved in her fifth attempt, which meant her debut in the Paralympics.

I feel very happy to have achieved this medal; regardless of the weather, I stood my ground, I knew how to show my mettle, I was able to concentrate and visualize my goal, which was to be on the podium.said Guerrero, who had to overcome the heavy rain that fell.

In other results for the Mexican delegation, Victor Sardina said goodbye to the Parisian event after losing 142-136 to American Matt Stutzman in the round of 32 of the open event for compound bow.

This was the first experience at the Paralympic Games for the Baja Californian, who left alcoholism behind to arrive in Paris.

The change I have made in my life has been very worthwhile. I have left behind all those things that had kept me from fulfilling my dreams. We have worked hard these last two years and I am excited to be here. We will continue to fight to raise our country to the top.said Sardina, who also thanked his coach Antonio Hidalgo and his son for helping him dedicate himself to the sport.

On the other hand, wheelchair sprinter Leonardo Pérez came close to making it onto the podium by finishing fourth in the final of the 400 metres, T52 category, with a time of 1:03.43 minutes.

In turn, flag bearer Salvador Hernández finished in seventh position in the same final, with a time of 1:04.32 minutes.

Luis López, meanwhile, finished fifth in the F37 shot put, after achieving a record of 14.31 meters in his third attempt.