Paralympics conclude; Mexico has 17 medals

José de Jesús Castillo lifted 222 kilos in La Chapelle Arena and gave Mexico another bronze medal in the powerlifting of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

On the last day of competition, the Guadalajara native won the 17th medal for the national delegation, which finished its participation in 30th place in the medal table.

After a cycle full of complications, injuries and personal problems, getting on the podium is a huge achievement. I waited eight years to feel a medal on my chest again, since the last time I got it was in Rio 2016.shared Castillo, who lost mobility in his legs due to polio.

The Jalisco native’s bronze in the under 107 kilogram category represents the closing of the country’s medal haul, which ends with three gold medals, six silver and eight bronze.

Para-swimming was the most successful discipline with seven medals, although it was in athletics where two gold medals were won: Gloria Zarza (shot put F54) and Juan Pablo Cervantes (100 metres T54).

Swimmer Ángel Camacho is the star of the national delegation, having won three medals: one silver and two bronze; Haideé Aceves also stood out with two silver medals.

Mexico competed in Paris with 67 athletes, more than half of whom made their debut in a summer competition. Their haul, which included 76 Olympic diplomas, did not improve on their performance in Tokyo 2020, where they won 22 medals with seven gold medals and 20th place in the rankings.

I thank Mexico for all the support for our athletes. Both those who climbed the podium and those who made an enormous effort to leave the name of our country high.commented Liliana Suárez, head of the National Paralympic Committee.

The closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in Saint-Denis was marked by fireworks at the Stade de France. Photo Afp

China reasserts its dominance

China has confirmed its position as the great dominator of Paralympic sport; since Athens 2004, it has led the medal table, with 94 golds, 76 silvers and 50 bronzes for a total of 220 medals, compared to 124 for Great Britain (49-44-31) and 105 for the United States (36-42-27).

After long days full of emotions, France said goodbye to the Games and passes the baton to Los Angeles 2028, with an impressive fiesta electronic and with the mission accomplished of having generated a wave of inclusion during the Paralympic event.

Their enthusiasm inspires us and their passion magnifies their spirit. They have been protagonists of a revolution of inclusion and that is the legacy they leave to all the different people in the world.said Andrew Parsons, head of the International Paralympic Committee at the closing ceremony.

Under intermittent rain, the nearly 60,000 people at the Stade de France chanted The Marseillaisethe French anthem, at the beginning of the ceremony.

To the rhythm of I Will Surviveby Gloria Gaynor, or from the popular French song Les Champs-Elysees, Joe Dassin, the flag bearers of the 168 delegations paraded before their nearly 4,400 parathletes; among them the Mexican Perla Patricia Bárcenas, from powerlifting.

It was Parsons who was in charge of mediating the handover of the Paralympic flag between the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, and the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, at which time the French capital definitively passed the baton to the American city.

Shortly afterwards, the Paralympic flame was extinguished, officially marking the end of the Games. The iconic cauldron, located in the Tuileries Gardens and unable to fly due to bad weather, was put into darkness to symbolically conclude the 11 days of competition.

With information from AFP