Gracelino Barbosa

Gracelino Tavares Barbosa

Personal information
Born	(1985-02-01) 1 February 1985 Tarrafal, Cape Verde
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Sport
Country	Cape Verde
Sport	Paralympic athletics
Disability class	T20
Medal record Paralympic athletics Representing Cape Verde Paralympic Games 2016 Rio de Janeiro 400m T20 INAS Global Games 2015 Guayaquil 110m hurdles 2015 Guayaquil 400m hurdles 2019 Brisbane 400m hurdles 2019 Brisbane 400m 2019 Brisbane 110m hurdles INAS World Outdoor Athletics Championships 2009 Jablonec nad Nasou 110m hurdles 2009 Jablonec nad Nasou 400m hurdles 2011 Bangkok 100m 2011 Bangkok 110m hurdles 2011 Bangkok 400m hurdles 2009 Jablonec nad Nasou 200m 2009 Jablonec nad Nasou 400m INAS World Indoor Athletics Championships 2016 Ancona 60m hurdles 2018 Val de Reuil 60m 2016 Ancona 400m 2018 Val de Reuil 200m

Gracelino Tavares Barbosa (born 1 February 1985) is a Cape Verdean Paralympic athlete who competes in the T20 category. Barbosa represented his home country at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, where he won the bronze medal in the 400 meters race, subsequently becoming the first in the country to medal at the Paralympics.

Career

Growing up in Cape Verde, Barbosa originally intended to compete in football but a broken toe encouraged him to transition into track and field. Barbosa represented his home country at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, where he won the bronze medal in the 400 meters T20 subsequently becoming the first in the country to medal at the Paralympics. Following this, Barbosa competed at the IX World Championship, run through the International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability, and won the 400 meters hurdles, 100 meters and 110 meters hurdles. As a result of his accomplishments, he received the Second Grade of the Medal of Sport Merit in Cape Verde in 2017.

In 2018, Barbosa competed at the World Championship of the International Federation of Sports for Athletes with Intellectual Disabilities in France and won three medals. He won a bronze medal in the 200 meters, a gold medal in the 60 meters, and silver in the 60 meters hurdles. Two years later, Barbosa continued to compete in international games and won multiple titles. In March 2020, Barbosa competed at the World Athletics Indoor Tour in Toruń, Poland and placed first in the 60 meters and 60 meters hurdles. He remained in Poland for the World Cup and won a gold medal in the 400 meter hurdles.