The Omaras of Cuba, they are indeed Cuban

September 3, 2021

Like a bolt of lightning, Santiago native Omara Durand crossed the finish line hand in hand with her guide Yuniol Kindelán in the final of the 100 meters flat T12 category of these multi-sport games, to re-claim her crown from Rio de Janeiro in this distance, hang her second gold medal on her chest in this summer event, and the seventh in her tremendous Paralympic history.

The 29-year-old Santiago native, three-time world champion in this distance and world record holder, ran against her own marks and stopped the clocks at 11.49 seconds to leave behind Ukrainian Oksana Boturchuk (12.03) and Chinese Yanfen Liang (12.51), stamping her best time of the season.

In this way the Cuban delegation participating in these sixteenth Paralympic Games placed itself in position 33 with a small harvest of three gold medals, one silver, and one bronze.

Omara took to the track at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium this Friday near 7:00 am (Cuba time) in one of the three qualifying heats of the double hundred meters, and once again she secured a ticket for the final race now at the 200 m distance.

Cuban singer Omara Portuondo made a donation yesterday Thursday to the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK).

Masks, syringes, gloves, among other supplies make up the shipment, which was delivered officially by Ariel Jiménez Portuondo, son of the diva of the Buena Vista Social Club, in an emotional ceremony held at the headquarters of that health institution.

Jiménez Portuondo commented that, as a result of the complex epidemiological situation in the country caused by COVID-19, both Omara and her family and friends developed this initiative to support the work carried out by national doctors. "This is the best way we people in culture can contribute," he concluded.

For her part, Dr. Vivian Kourí Cardellá, first vice-director of the IPK, on behalf of all workers and health professionals at this center, thanked the gesture of solidarity and stated that it represents support for the daily work in caring for patients treated there.