Leonardo Diaz

Leonardo Díaz Aldana , Cuban parathlete who competes in bullet drive , discus throw and javelin throw in the F56 ( wheelchair ) category . In his successful sports career, he has obtained the titles of Parapan American champion, world champion, and Paralympic champion.

Summary

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• 1 Biographical synthesis
  • 1 Sports career
    • 1.1 2001 – 2004
    • 1.2 2005 – 2008
    • 1.3 2009 – 2012
    • 1.4 2013 – 2016
    • 1.5 2017 – 2020
  • 2 Sports results
  • 3 Awards and recognitions
  • 4 References
  • 5 Sources

Biographical synthesis

He was born on 16 of February of 1975 , in the city of Manzanillo , Oriente Province. Son of Cándida Aldana Sánchez and Reynaldo Díaz Castro from a very young age, his parents moved to the city of Nuevitas , Camagüey province, where he developed a large part of his life and then returned to his native province.

He completed his primary studies at the Seminary of Nuevitas. Then in 1988 he was recruited to the Camagüey Sports Initiation School ( EIDE ) in the Greco wrestling sport .

He attended the Pioneer Games in the 49 kg division, always obtaining gold medals. Due to these results, he participated in the National School Games , also with an outstanding performance that led him to continue his sporting life at the Escuela Superior de Perfeccionamiento Atlético ( ESPA ) of the same province in the divisions of 54 and 63.5 kg, obtaining bronze in the 1st Category event of the sport and in the National Championship held in Ciego de Ávila fourth place in 1993 .

While serving the General Military Service, he suffered an accident that affected his spine and left him disabled, so years later he rejoined sports for people with disabilities. in this case in the disciplines of athletics , weightlifting and wheelchair basketball .

Sports race

2001 – 2004

In 2003 he won a gold medal in discus throwing and set a world record (32.76) at the II Parapan American Games in Mar del Plata , Argentina . There, in addition, he won another gold metal in bullet drive with a record of 8.48.

2005 – 2008

He obtained a bronze medal in the drive of the bullet at the III Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil and the following year, at the Paralympic Games in Beijing , China , he became a Paralympic champion in the throwing of the discus by sending the implement to the 40.87 and set a new Paralympic and world record.

2009 – 2012

He represented Cuba at the 2011 Guadalajara Parapan American Games , where he broke the world record by throwing the implement up to 44.36 meters at the Telmex Stadium. In Guadalajara, he would also obtain a silver in the javelin throw and a bronze in the bullet. Before that, he had won the World Championships in Christchurch , New Zealand , with a 43.10 meter send.

Leonardo Díaz secured the gold from the first attempt, with 42.07 to lead both Campbel ( Jamaica : 40.42) and Scott Winkler ( United States : 30.59). Thus he guaranteed his qualification to the London 2012 Paralympic Games to defend the title achieved in Beijing 2008 .

He would close the Olympic cycle with his fourth world record and the F56 category title during the London 2012 Paralympic Games . In London he would also venture into the bullet (18th place) and javelin (10th with 29.92).

2013 – 2016

In 2013 he won a gold medal in discus throwing during the VIII National Paralympic , in Las Tunas , with a record of 45.23 meters. That year, the World Championships in Athletics for the Disabled affiliated with the International Paralympic Committee set another world record with 45.32 meters in the F56 Discus Throw ^[1] .

Two years later, at the World Paratletics Championships in Doha , Qatar , he won gold in the discus throw, sending the implement up to 45.10 meters ^[2] .

Leonardo Díaz closed the Olympic cycle at the Paralympics in Rio , Brazil , achieving bronze in the F54 / 56 category with a 43.58-meter discus throw, a result consistent with his possibilities after a long period away from the field due to injury.

2017 – 2020

In 2019 he obtained three gold medals in the Paratletics Open held in Lima , Peru , a test event towards the VI Parapan American Games, sending the puck up to 42.52 m, the javelin at 28.16 m and the bullet up to 10.10 m in the F56 category.

Already at the Parapan American Games in Lima 2019, he threw the puck up to 42.20 meters to win the silver medal at first ^[3] . But then it is disqualified after a protest by the delegation of Mexico presented a video of an alleged illegal movement of knees during the launch of Leonardo. This decision of the judges was protested by the official representatives of Cuba, who complained to the International Paralympic Committee for what they considered arbitrary ^[4] .

Sports results

Awards and honours

• 2012 – Chosen among the ten most outstanding athletes of the year 2012 in sports for the disabled in Cuba.
• 2013 – Selected by the Cuban Sports Journalists Circle in conjunction with the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation as the best male athlete in sports for the disabled this year in Cuba ^[5].
• 2014 – Chosen by the specialized press and INDER among the 10 most outstanding athletes in sport for the disabled this year in Cuba