Spanish Paralympic athletes

At the latest edition of the Games, held in Paris in 2024, the Paralympic Spanish national team won 40 medals: 7 gold, 11 silver and 22 bronze medals. Only 11 countries surpassed them. These data are proof of the great form of Spanish Paralympic sport, which is spurred on by a series of athletes who set an example for society at large. Their stories of courage, perseverance and a desire to improve are inspiring because they prove that there are no limits to the human body and that barriers are there to be knocked down. Their successes, also at World and European Championships, are a source of pride for all. Through the Iberia Talento a bordo Team, Iberia gives wings to some of the most outstanding Spanish Paralympic athletes: Sarai Gascón, Alfonso Cabello, Gerard Descarrega and Sara Andrés. But they are not the only ones who, thanks to their daily efforts, raise awareness of adaptive sport and aim for the top competition after competition. Do you want to get to know them?

Teresa Perales

Any list of Spanish Paralympic athletes has to start with Teresa Perales (Zaragoza, 1975). Why? The answer is 28, which is the number of medals this Paralympic swimmer—who lost the use of her legs at the age of 19 due to neuropathy—has won at the Games. Five in Sydney, six in Athens, five in Beijing, six in London, four in Río, one in Tokyo and one in Paris. She is the most decorated Spanish Paralympian in history! In 2021, she was awarded the Princess of Asturias Award for sports. A role model who has undoubtedly transcended the sporting world.

Alfonso Cabello

Speaking about Alfonso Cabello (La Rambla, Córdoba 1993) means talking about one of the best para-cyclists in the history of Spain. Literally… the king of track! His impressive track record includes seven Paralympic medals—one gold medal in London, two bronze medals in Río, one gold and one bronze in Tokyo, and one silver and one bronze in Paris—, all for the 1 km time trial and mixed team sprint. Will he win another in LA? Born without his left forearm due to a birth defect, we know that he can achieve whatever challenge he sets himself.

Adiaratou Iglesias

The life of Adiaratou Iglesias (Bamako, Mali, 1999) has not been easy… Persecuted in her country of origin due to superstitions surrounding albinism—a disorder that also affects her vision—, Adi moved to Spain in 2010. Her hardships did not stop—she ended up in a juvenile welfare home—until a teacher in Lugo, Lina Iglesias, adopted her. Once she was settled, she threw herself into adaptive athletics and, over time, has turned into a role model for the sport. At the Tokyo Games, she was on cloud nine after winning gold in the 100 metres and bronze in the 400 metres in the T-13 category.

Gerard Descarrega

When he was just four years old, Gerard Descarrega (Reus, Tarragona, 1994) was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, which made him gradually lose his eyesight. An adversity that never stopped him… In 2016, he won the gold medal at the Río Paralympics (400 metres) in the T11 category (near-total visual impairment), a success he ratified in Tokyo. He was not able to extend this streak in Paris because a few months before the big day he tore his Achilles heel. He hopes to make up for it in Los Ángeles. This fan of climbing also became the first blind athlete to hit the summit of Mount Kenya.

Sarai Gascón

The swimmer Sarai Gascón (Terrassa, Barcelona, 1992) extended her medal collection at the Paris Games with a bronze for 4x100 medley relay. Only Australia and the Netherlands beat Spain in a nail-biting final. With six silvers and three bronze medals at five Paralympic Games—after making her debut in Beijing at the tender age of 15, she has also taken part in London, Río, Tokyo and Paris—, she is still dreaming about a gold, the only medal missing from her stellar track record. Born without her left forearm, she’s an example of perseverance, which we will bear witness to again in LA.

Juan Antonio Saavedra

During his adolescence, Juan Antonio Saavedra (Pontevedra, 1973) lost part of his left arm to cancer. He was 15 and a rising star within handball. Para shooting, a sport that requires concentration, precision and mental strength, became a refuge for this Galician athlete. With his rifle on his shoulder, he has attended six Games—since Sydney he has only missed one edition, Beijing—, and won three medals: silver in London, bronze in Tokyo and bronze in Paris. The medal he won in the French capital turned him into the Spanish shooter who has won the most Paralympic medals.

Sara Andrés

Sport has always played a key role in the life of Sara Andrés (Madrid, 1986). Before the car accident where she lost both legs, she practiced tennis, karate or equestrianism. At the age of 25, she found a way of doing what she loves the most again in adaptive athletics, specifically in the long jump and the 100-metre dash. Since then, she has taken part in three Games—Río, Tokyo and Paris—and is already thinking about her fourth, Los Ángeles, where she will be cheered on by her baby girl. She is also a primary school teacher and passionate about theatre.

José Manuel Ruiz

If we started this list mentioning the most prize-winning Spanish Paralympic athlete, we need to close it with the sportsman with the highest number of appearances. That is José Manuel Ruiz (Guadix, Granada, 1978), who made his debut in Atlanta in 1996. Eight appearances which also won Spanish table tennis five medals: three silver and two bronze medals. A huge achievement for someone born without part of his right arm due to a congenital birth defect. In 2016, he was the flag bearer for the Spanish national team in Río. He has also received the Royal Order of Sports Merit, granted by the Higher Sports Council (CSD).

Spanish Paralympic sport sets the bar really high at the Games because it has other great spokespeople. We cannot fail to mention Ricardo Ten, who has won medals in such diverse disciplines as swimming (seven) and cycling (four) since his debut in Atlanta. Unlike José Manuel Ruiz, Ricardo missed the Athens Games. With eight medals—two gold, three silver and three bronze—we have swimmer Miguel Luque. Four bronze medals hang around the neck of swimmer María Delgado. Three—one gold and two silver—medals adorn the track record of marathon runner Alberto Suárez Laso; the swimmer Iñigo Llopis also has three, one of each. With two gold medals, we have triathlete Susana Rodríguez Gacio, the same as discus thrower Kim López. Among the younger generation, the swimmer Anastasiya Dmytriv, who won one gold and two bronze medals in Paris, particularly stands out. We also have Guillermo Gracia, who after taking the World Aquatics Championships by storm cannot wait for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to create an adaptive category for athletes with Down’s syndrome. We cannot say goodbye without having a look at winter sports, where Paralympic skier Audrey Pascual will be one of our stars at the Milano-Cortina Winter Games.