Francisco Sanclemente secured a historic spot for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games

The Colombian para-athlete Francisco Sanclemente achieved a historic milestone in his sports career by qualifying for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, becoming the first Colombian to represent the country in the Marathon T54 (wheelchair) category. Francisco confirmed his qualification by climbing to third place in the world ranking, following his victory on June 22 in the Duluth Marathon, with a time of 1 hour, 22 minutes, and 7 seconds.

Francisco highlights that his path to qualification began two years ago, during which he managed to achieve four high-performance minimum marks required by the International Paralympic Committee. This paved the way for the Colombian Para-Athletics Federation, along with the national coach and the Colombian Paralympic Committee, to closely monitor his performance, which was solidified in the recent Duluth Marathon.

Following this sporting achievement, the athlete, who has received sustained sponsorship from Grupo Argos for over five years, secured his spot for the Paralympic Games, which will take place from August 28 to September 8. The athlete from Buga is already preparing for his participation in the Paralympic competition and will soon travel to Europe for the final phase of his preparation on French soil.