Omara Durand Wins Gold Medal in Morocco

March 12, 2023

Omara Durand closed out this Saturday with a victory in the 400 meters at the Moulay El Hassan International Paraathletics Meet in Marrakech 2023, in Morocco.

Omara, accompanied by her guide Yuniol Kindelán, completed the lap around the oval in 54.73 seconds and left the remaining podium positions in the T12 category (profound visual impairment) to Brazilian Lorraine Gomes (1:00.54 minutes) and host Fatima Ezzahra Elidrissi (1:00.93).

"I improved my time compared to the previous race and I'm maintaining the strategy planned for this year," said Omara after winning in her fourth appearance of the current season.

The multi-champion paralympian had dominated this distance at the Dubai meet at the end of February last, with a time of 56.32 seconds, in addition to winning the 200 meters with a mark of 24.96 seconds.

Her most recent success in the present campaign came this Friday at the grand stadium in the Moroccan city, after covering the double hectometer in 24.17 seconds.

The performance shown so far by the Santiago sprinter satisfies her coach, Miriam Ferrer, who insists that the records achieved exceed expectations, taking into account the preparation phase her student is going through.

The coach confirmed that the medical classification completed in Dubai and valid for the next four years was the main objective of these first ventures of the year away from home.

"Measuring herself against some new girls, whom she had never faced before, was also part of our purposes. Both things were achieved with results that leave us very satisfied," said the experienced coach from the African headquarters.

Miriam also announced that the next competitive event will take place in the Mexican city of Xalapa (April 27-29), where the Americas phase of the 2023 Paraathletics Grand Prix was moved, previously scheduled for Monterrey.

"There we will also run the 100 meters. We haven't done it until now due to preparation strategies. Her power is still not at its maximum to run well in the shortest distance," she explained.

This year Omara has as main challenges participation in the 2023 Paris World Paraathletics Championship, in July, and in the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games, in November.

At the first of those events she should not face setbacks to secure the ticket for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, a privilege reserved for medalists in each event.

For the highly decorated runner it would be her fifth participation in these events and the opportunity to multiply a legendary trajectory, marked by her victories in all editions held since London 2012.