LOPEZ ALFONSO Damian

Cuba
Cycling Track
13 Sep 1976
44
Male
C1
HAVANA
 
Cuba
HAVANA
 
Cuba

Events and Medals

Discipline Event Rank Medal
CTR Cycling Track Men's C1-3 1000m Time Trial 22

Schedule

Change
Start Time Location Event Status
Izu Velodrome
Men's C1-3 1000m Time Trial
Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

:

CYCLING ROAD
RankEventYearLocation
Paralympic Games
12C4 Time Trial2016Rio de Janeiro, BRA
12C4-5 Road Race2012London, GBR
13C4 Time Trial2012London, GBR
17C4-5 Road Race2016Rio de Janeiro, BRA
Road World Championships
10Men's C1 - Road Race2021Cascais, POR
10C1 Time Trial2021Cascais, POR
14C4 Time Trial2014Greenville, SC, USA
19Men's C4 - Road Race2014Greenville, SC, USA

CYCLING TRACK
RankEventYearLocation
Paralympic Games
12C4 4000m Individual Pursuit2012London, GBR
20C4-5 1000m Time Trial2016Rio de Janeiro, BRA
21C4-5 1000m Time Trial2012London, GBR
Track World Championships
14C4 4000m Individual Pursuit2015Apeldoorn, NED
15Men's C1 - 1000m Time Trial2019Apeldoorn, NED
15C1 3000m Individual Pursuit2019Apeldoorn, NED
15Men's C4 - 1000m Time Trial2012Los Angeles, CA, USA
16Men's C4 - 1000m Time Trial2015Apeldoorn, NED
18Men's C4-5 - Scratch Race2015Apeldoorn, NED
19C4 4000m Individual Pursuit2012Los Angeles, CA, USA
:
English, Spanish
:
Jorge Luis Baez [national]
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He has competed at international level in both Para road cycling and Para track cycling. (toronto2015.org, 13 Aug 2015)
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2011 for Cuba, World Cup in Canada (Athlete, 07 Feb 2012)
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He began cycling after his accident in Havana, Cuba. (bicycling.com, 01 Nov 2013)
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After his accident a friend came to visit him with a racing bicycle. A few days later he sneaked out of the house to have a turn riding the bike. He kept crashing so he and his friend turned the handlebars upwards so he could control the bike. Every weekend he would have informal races to the beaches in east Havana, Cuba. "Since childhood I have enjoyed sports, playing football, bike riding and dreamed of the Olympics. It helped me a lot physically and psychologically." (bicycling.com, 01 Nov 2013; noticias.terra.com.ar, 08 Mar 2012)
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US cyclist Tracy Lea. (noticias.terra.com.ar, 08 Mar 2012)
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"I am not afraid of anything. I have never been afraid of anything. Winning means always going forward. Life for me is a race. Every day that goes by is a day lost. That day never comes back. That helps you go through life." (irasabs.com, 10 Jun 2011)

General Interest

Classification
C1 (UCI, 21 Jun 2021)

Type of Impairment
Limb deficiency (bicycling.com, 01 Nov 2013)

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (bicycling.com, 01 Nov 2013)

Impairment Details
At age 13 he tried to use a metal rod to retrieve a kite tangled in the power lines above a neighbour's building in Havana, Cuba. He received an electric shock of 13,000 volts, and was on life support for 52 days. As a result of the accident, he sustained facial injuries and both of his arms were amputated below the elbow. He sustained further injuries in 2018 when he was run over by a bus while on his way to training and lost his right leg. (cubadebate.cu, 11 Aug 2021; bicycling.com, 01 Nov 2013; noticias.terra.com.ar, 08 Mar 2012)

General
FRIENDSHIP
He built up a friendship with US cyclist Tracy Lea after helping to fix her bike at a race near Havana, Cuba, in 2002. She wanted to get him to United States of America for facial reconstructive surgery, but initial attempts to acquire a visa for him were unsuccessful. In 2010 he was finally granted a visa, and after Lea contacted some nonprofit organisations to provide funding he underwent his first operation in 2011. (mcall.com, 27 Jun 2015; bicycling.com, 01 Nov 2013; noticias.terra.com.ar, 08 Mar 2012)

Legend
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Gold Medal Event
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Silver Medal Event
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Bronze Medal Event
Content 1 (removed through CDN)
Content 2 (removed through CDN).
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