Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
made its
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...
début at the
1992 Summer Paralympics
)( es, Deporte Sin Límites)
, nations = 82 (BCN)75 (MAD)
, athletes = 3,020 (BCN)1,600 (MAD)
, opened_by = Queen Sofía
, opening = 3 September (BCN)15 September (MAD)
, closing = 14 September (BCN)22 September (MAD)
, even ...
in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, with a delegation of two competitors in athletics. It has participated in every subsequent edition of the
Summer Paralympics
The Summer Paralympics also known as the Games of the Paralympiad, are an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebral ...
, but never in the
Winter Paralympics
The Winter Paralympic Games is an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete in snow and ice sports. The event includes athletes with mobility impairments, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. Th ...
. Panamanian delegations have always been small, never consisting in more than two competitors.
Nonetheless, Panama has won eight Paralympic medals: three gold, four silver, and one bronze. All of Panama's medals have been won by a single athlete, visually impaired runner (
T13 classification)
Said Gomez, over the span of four Games, from 1992 to 2004. In 1992, 1996 and 2000, Gomez medalled in all the events he entered. In 2004, he entered two races, winning silver in the 5,000m, but finishing 'only' fifth in the 10,000m. In 2008, for the first time, he failed to win any medal, being eliminated in the heats in both the 1,500m and the 5,000m races. In 2012 he was eliminated in the heats in both the 800m and 1500m races.
Only three other people have represented Panama at the Paralympics. Runner
Ernesto Archer was eliminated in the heats of both his races in 1992, and did not compete again.
Désirée Aguilar competed in freestyle swimming in 2004 and 2008, but did not advance past the heats.
Panama at the Paralympics
International Paralympic Committee Katherina Taylor competed in athletics in 2012, and was eliminated in the heats of both her 200m and 400m races.
List of medallists
See also
* Panama at the Olympics
References
{{Paralympic-nation-stub