Last Wednesday, the Paralympic flame lighted up the sky of Paris. The French capital is once again the epicentre of world sport with the Paralympic Games, an event that will bring together nearly five thousand athletes, 149 of whom are Spanish, and in which UCAM will be represented with fifteen athletes and two coaches.

These are athletes who are aiming at the stars in these games. This is the case of Adiaratou Iglesias, a sprinter who will try to defend the gold medal she won in Tokyo in the 100m T13 event. She also won silver in Japan, although this second place was won in the 400m T13 event. 

Sara Andrés will be another of the athletes who will be trying to conquer Paris. Already a medallist at the World and European Championships, the Madrid-born athlete will be looking for her first Paralympic medal with the Eiffel Tower as her witness. And she will try to do so in the 100m and in the long jump T64, her specialities. 

An exciting discipline: swimming

Swimming will be another of the sporting disciplines on which UCAM will be focussed. Many hopes are pinned on the water in Paris, as the best possible representation is expected. Sarai Gascón, with eight Paralympic medals to her name, will be looking for the gold medal she is so desperate for. So far she has won six silver medals and two bronze medals. That is why, in Paris, she will go for the golden metal, the dream she has yet to fulfil. 

Another big name in this sport is Íñigo Llopis, current world and European champion in the 100m backstroke S8. The Basque athlete will jump into the pool as one of the favourites and with the sole objective of reaching the top step of the podium. 

Nahia Zudaire, one of the youngest athletes in the Spanish expedition, has the best national records and, at only 20 years of age, will be looking make the gold medal hers in what will be her second Games. 

In cycling, we find Sergio Garrote, a Paralympic champion, world time trial champion and Spanish champion, among many other titles. The Barcelona native wants to continue to add to his trophy cabinet and will be aiming for another Paralympic podium finish, a realistic goal for an athlete of his talents. 

Outstanding participation in basketball

Finally, UCAM will also have a strong presence in basketball. There will be nine athletes from the university. In addition to the Spanish athletes, some of them belong to delegations from other countries, such as the British Lee Fryer and Peter Cusack and the French Luigi Makambo. 

Nonetheless, the bulk of the university representation will be in the Spanish national team. They are the Murcia native, from La Unión, and captain Sonia Ruiz, as well as Vicky Vilariño, Bea Zudaire and Lourdes Ortega. In addition, Franck Belén, women's national coach, and Marta Vargas, team manager and physiotherapist, will also represent the UCAM name. In his case, from the bench. In the men's team, Pablo Zarzuela and Lalo Prieto will be UCAM's ambassadors on French soil. 

At the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, the university achieved six medallists and twelve diplomas, outstanding numbers which they hope to improve on in Paris. 

UCAM ATHLETES

Swimming: 

• Sarai Gascón
• Nahia Zudaire
• Íñigo Llopis 

Athletics: 

• Adiaratou Iglesias 
• Sara Andres 

Cycling: 

• Sergio Garrote

Wheelchair basketball: 

• Sonia Ruiz 
• Vicky Vilariño 
• Lourdes Ortega 
• Bea Zudaire 
• Pablo Zarzuela
• Lalo Prieto 
• Lee Fryer
• Peter Cusack 
• Luigi Makambo 
• Franck Belén (women's national coach) 
• Marta Vargas, (team manager and physiotherapist)