This will be the first time the Dominican Republic reaches such a figure of athletes, who will be vying for medals in athletics, taekwondo, swimming, cycling and weight lifting.

Darlenys de la Cruz and her guide Fary Mejia will compete in the 100 and 200 meters (m), as well as Diana Carolina Vivenes, in the 400 m and long jump.

Luis Andrés Vásquez in the 100 and 400 m and Wagner Astacio in the long jump and high jump will be representing males.

The Paralympic taekwondo team is made up of Elizabeth Geraldo (-52 kg), Geraldo Castro (-63 kg) and Julio Figuereo (+80 kg).

At the swimming pools will be Lourdes Alejandra Aybar in the 200 m combined, 100 m butterfly and 50 m butterfly, while the male roster will feature Marcos Jiménez in the 100 m breaststroke, 50 m backstroke and 50 m freestyle.

Other participants are José Frank Rodríguez (cycling) and Jesús Manuel Rodríguez (weight lifting, in the division up to 80 kg).

The Chairman of the Dominican Paralympic Committee, Eladio Agramonte, confirmed that the athletes are in Paris, in a training facility.

Dominicans have so far only earned one medal in this kind of event, thanks to sprinter Robert Jimenez in the 200 m, in Atlanta 1996.

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