Poleth Méndes

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| full_name = Poleth Isamar Méndes Sánchez

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1996|2|4}}

| birth_place = Carpuela, Ecuador

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| sport = Paralympic athletics

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| disability_class = F20

| event = shot put

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{{MedalCountry|{{ECU}}}}

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Poleth Isamar Méndes Sánchez{{family name footnote|Méndes|Sánchez|lang=Spanish}} (born 4 February 1996), also simply known as Poleth Méndes, is an Ecuadorian Paralympic athlete.{{Cite web |title=Poleth Isamar Mendes Sanchez- Athletics | Paralympic Athlete Profile |url=https://www.paralympic.org/poleth-isamar-mendes-sanchez |access-date=29 August 2021 |website=Paralympic.org |publisher=International Paralympic Committee}} She along with her younger sister Anaís Méndez claimed the first medals for Ecuador in the history of the Paralympics.{{Cite web |title=Super Sunday sees a new fastest Paralympian and Ecuador's first gold |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/super-sunday-sees-new-fastest-paralympian-and-ecuador-s-first-gold |access-date=29 August 2021 |website=Paralympic.org |publisher=International Paralympic Committee}} Both have the unique distinction of being the only siblings combination to be the first two Paralympic medalists for a country.

Méndes and her sister share different spelling of their surnames due to a clerical error in the civil registry.{{cite news |url=https://quenoticias.com/deportes/apellido-poleth-mendes-anais-mendez-error/ |title=¿Por qué Poleth Méndes y Anaís Méndez tienen apellidos distintos si son hermanas? Un error es la razón de la diferencia entre las medallistas paralímpicas ecuatorianas |work=Qué Noticias |date=29 August 2021 |access-date=29 August 2021 |language=es}}

Career

She made her first Paralympic appearance representing Ecuador at the 2016 Summer Paralympics.{{Cite web |title=Athletics - Poleth Isamar Mendes Sanchez |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1334898-mendes-sanchez-poleth-isamar.htm |work=Tokyo 2020 Paralympics |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |access-date=29 August 2021 |archive-date=29 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829165721/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1334898-mendes-sanchez-poleth-isamar.htm |url-status=dead }} She was also the flag bearer for Ecuador during the 2016 Summer Paralympics Parade of Nations.{{cite web |title=Full list of flag bearers for opening ceremony of Rio 2016 Paralympic Games |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/news/full-list-of-flag-bearers-for-opening-ceremony-of-rio-2016-paralympic-games |work=Rio 2016 Paralympics |publisher=Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games |date=7 September 2016 |access-date=12 September 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915144043/https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/news/full-list-of-flag-bearers-for-opening-ceremony-of-rio-2016-paralympic-games |archivedate=15 September 2016}} She also claimed a silver medal in the women's shot put F20 category at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships.{{cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/static/info/resLO2017/pdf/LO2017/AT/LO2017_AT_C73S_ATW320101.pdf |format=pdf |title=Results - Women's Shot Put F20 Final |website=Paralympic.org |publisher=International Paralympic Committee |date=18 July 2017 |access-date=29 August 2021}}

She clinched gold medal with a new world record of 14.39 in the women's F20 shot put event during the 2020 Summer Paralympics.{{Cite web |title=Athletics - Women's Shot Put - F20 Schedule |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/athletics/event-schedule-women-s-shot-put-f20.htm |work=Tokyo 2020 Paralympics |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |access-date=29 August 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829184007/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/athletics/event-schedule-women-s-shot-put-f20.htm |archive-date=29 August 2021}} Coincidentally, her sister won bronze medal in the same discipline making it a rare instance of athletes coming from same family who go on to win medals in a same competition. Poleth Isamar Mendes Sanchez won Ecuador's first ever gold medal in Paralympics history while her younger sister Anaís Méndez won Ecuador's first ever bronze medal in Paralympics history. Prior to the 2020 Summer Paralympics, Ecuador had never won a Paralympic medal.{{Cite web |title=Paralympic History for #ECU Before Today, Ecuador Had Never Won a Paralympic ... - Latest Tweet by Paralympic Games | 🏆 LatestLY |url=https://www.latestly.com/socially/sports/paralympic-history-for-ecu-before-today-ecuador-had-never-won-a-paralympic-latest-tweet-by-paralympic-games-2793938.html |website=LatestLY |date=29 August 2021 |access-date=29 August 2021}}