
Powerlifter Achele Guion became the sixth Filipino athlete to qualify to the Tokyo Paralympics next month after earning a berth through bi-partite approval.
Francis Diaz, the country’s chief of mission to the Para Games, confirmed this Wednesday, July 14, adding that they received the development Tuesday night.
Guion is a three-time silver medalist at the Asian Para Games, winning it in the 2010 Guangzhou, 2014 Incheon and 2018 Jakarta editions.
She also competed at the 2012 London Olympics and placed sixth in the women’s -44kgs.
The 29-year-old veteran will join swimmers Ernie Gawilan and Gary Bejino, athletics’ Jerold Magliwan and Janette Acevedo, and taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin to the Para Games scheduled Aug. 24 to Sept. 5.
The country has so far won two bronze medals in the Paralympics – from powerlifter Adeline Dumapong at the 2000 Sydney and table tennis veteran Josephine Medina at the 2016 Rio editions.
With Guion’s qualification, the country has also surpassed the number of qualified athletes at the 2016 Rio Para Games where five athletes competed in Brazil.