Just days after lighting the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony of the 2011 Parapan American Games, Mexico's Maria de los Angeles Ortiz lit up a packed Telmex Athletics Stadium once again on Tuesday (15 November) with a Shot Put world record.
With a stunning fourth round throw that measured 11.24m, Ortiz broke her own world record by 3cm to claim gold for Mexico on the second day of Athletics. This year has clearly been a dream year for Ortiz as in January she claimed the world title with her previous best throw of 11.21m.
Much to the delight of the home crowd, Ortiz's teammate Catalina Rosales Montiel (9.74m) claimed silver making it a Mexican one, two whilst Brazil's Roeane Santos (9.18m) picked up bronze.
Despite Otriz's success, it was very much Brazil's day with the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games host nation wining seven gold medals out of 19 events.
The first event of the day was a two horse race between USA's Chelsea McClammer and Mexico's Angela Andrea Dilone in the women's 5,000m T54. McClammer (14:07.74), a bronze medalist in yesterday's 400m, just edged it though with Dilone (14:08.37) taking silver. Bronze went to Argentina's Valeria Jara (15:08.20).
Brazil's first track gold of the day came in the women's 200m T38 when Jennifer Santos (31.01) set a new Games record to claim gold. Silver went to Canada's Virginia McLachlan (35.41) who set a new Americas T35 record. Mexico's Fatima del Rocio (37.46) took the bronze.
The women's 200m T36 final witnessed an Argentinean one, two finish with Nadia Schaus (32.45) winning gold in a time that smashed the Americas record previously held by teammate Yanina Andrea Martinez (34.06) who finished with silver.
Before the Parapan American Games, Brazil's five time world champion Terezinha Guilhermina said she wanted to become the first female para-athlete to run the 100m under 12 seconds. Although she (12.41) won 100m T11 gold on Tuesday she was well outside her world record time, probably because of a taxing 400m semi-final earlier in the day. The race saw Brazil sweep all the medals with teammates Jhulia Santos (12.73) and Jerusa Geber Santos (13.17) taking silver and bronze.
Brazil's Shirlene Coelho (33.99m) claimed her second gold of the Games in the women's Javelin F37/38 throwing a Games record. She finished well ahead of silver medalist Yomaira Cohen (26.04m) of Venezuela and USA's Julie Crisp (22.46m) in bronze.
In total there are 111 medal events in six days of athletics competition at the Parapan American Games involving 342 athletes from 22 countries. Friday (14 November) will be the busiest day on the track and on the field with 30 gold medals up for grabs.
This is the fourth edition of the Parapan American Games and has attracted 1,500 athletes from 24 countries who will compete in 13 different sports.
For the latest results from the Telmex Athletics Stadium, please visit http://parapan.guadalajara2011.org.mx
