Omara Durand is considered the face of Cuban Paralympic athletics for her romance with gold medals at the Paralympic Games. After winning three gold medals at Tokyo 2020, she now has eight Paralympic gold medals in her career.

Omara competed in the 100m, 200m and 400m to get her hands on the elusive yellow metal in style.

Omara Durand won the 200m T12 final to claim her third Paralympic championship. Omara has not only won every event she participated in but has established herself as the greatest female Paralympian of all time.

The Cuban legend started her athletics career at a boarding school for the blind and visually impaired. She was discovered by her physical education teacher.

In an interview, she said that she took up athletics as a game and as an escape.

“I was on scholarship and saw it as a way to get out of school. Then I climbed to more complex levels, fell in love with running and you see: today it is one of my great loves,” Olympic.com quoted Omara as saying.

She announced her arrival at the international stage with her titles at the World Championships for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Brazil in 2007. She won the 100m and 200m titles.

This made her one of the favourites for Beijing 2008. She was 16 years old when she appeared in her first Games. But due to an injury, she returned home empty-handed.

After London 2012, she continued to climb up the sport. She won two gold medals in the 100m and 400m without knowing at the time that she was pregnant.

She withdrew from the competition and took care of her daughter and then regained her form.

However, after the pregnancy, her vision worsened and she dropped from T13 to T12. Then, she started competing with her guide Yuniol Kindelán. She won three gold medals in Rio 2016 and set two world records.

“I had a very difficult time, but I never gave up, I always had the faith that I would be Omara again. Thanks to life and the magic that Miriam put in, I did better. I always say that after having my daughter my results have been better. She is a blessing,” her coach Miriam Ferrer said about Omara.

At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, she reclaimed her crown with three gold medals.

“From Tokyo 2020, the first fear I had was that the Games would be cancelled for good and I would have to wait for Paris 2024. That’s why it’s very good that they are taking place. It’s not the same to wait one year as four, and it’s good to make the most of the moments when you’re in sporting form. I’m not 20 anymore, I’m going to be 30,” Omara was quoted as saying by Olympics. com.