On the Scene - Parapans Rolling to Close in Guadalajara

(ATR) Record-setting performances frame the final days of the 4th Parapanamerican Games in Guadalajara.

The Parapans, underway since Nov. 12, close on Sunday in Mexico’s second-largest city. The games have drawn 1,500 competitors in 13 sports.

Records set Thursday include a world record in the 100m by Cuban sprinter Omara Durand, whose gold medal time was 11.99 seconds.

In swimming, a trio of Mexicans swept the podium in the men’s 50m breast trial in class SB2.

Daniel Dias of Brazil is on pace to become the most decorated athlete of the Games, winning his sixth and seventh gold medals Thursday at the ScotiaBank Aquatics Center. Two more sessions of swimming remain.

And it’s near certain that Brazil will wind up at the top of the medals table when the flame goes out Sunday. At the start of competition Friday, the 222-member team from Brazil, the largest at these Games, is way ahead of the rest of the pack with 132 medals, including 54 gold. Mexico is second with 104 medals.

Brazil Meets Target Says Paralympics Chief

The president of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee tells Around the Rings that the performance of the team in Guadalajara is in line with projections to finish with the most medals.

"We are bringing the best that we have in all 13 sports," says Andrew Parsons. He says other Paralympic powers in the 42-nation Pan Am region tend to use these Games to help develop their teams.

Parsons adds, however, that youngsters are also included in the team with an eye to their participation in the hometown Paralympics in 2016.

"Of course we are bringing some junior athletes and we have some very good results from some of them. We have some gold medals coming from athletes that are 17 or 18 years old so that gives us some hope for Rio de Janerio in 2016," says Parsons.

"We have a very ambitious target togo from ninth place in Beijing to fifth in Rio."

Fan support is also important to the success of the Brazil team, Parsons tells ATR.

"People understand that we are good in Paralympics, so they must support the athletes. The combination of results and broadcasting is leading Brazil to be one of the main countries when you speak about size of the Paralympic sport. We are ninth, we are not top three, but maybe Paralympic sport is more important than the majority of other countries," he says.

WADA Hosts Information Kiosk

For the first time at a Parapan Games, the World Anti-Doping Agency has a presence in the Parapan Village to answer questions from athletes.

Hundreds of athletes and coaches stopped by the kiosk during the week WADA was there.

"Our presence at the Parapans means a lot and has a great and a 'real' impact on athletes and entourage who visit the booth and do the quiz," WADA media relations manager Terence O’Rorke tells ATR.

He says the outreach was valuable for some athletes who had barely heard of WADA, though he says athlete awareness of anti-doping is good and that they are "really keen to learn more".

Closing Events

Friday's events include the last sessions of table tennis and wheelchair tennis plus athletics, wheelchair basketball, five-a-side football, goalball, judo and power lifting.

Saturday events include the cycling road race, wheelchair basketball finals and the close of swimming, powerlifting and goalball.

Sunday the marathon is staged and finals will be held in judo and football with the closing ceremony at Telmex Stadium, where the caldron with the Parapan flame is burning.

Written and reported in Guadalajara by Ed Hula

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