page_title: Malawi at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
section_title: Athletics
hierarchical_section_title: Malawi at the 2016 Summer Paralympics / Athletics
caption_attribution_description: Vista de trás do gol (Setor Norte) do estádio do Engenhão nos Jogos Pan-americanos de 2007.
context_page_description: Malawi competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 7 to 18 September 2016. The country's participation in Rio marked its debut appearance in the quadrennial event, although it had competed in the Summer Olympics ten times since the 1972 Games. The delegation consisted of a single middle-distance runner, Taonere Banda, who qualified for the games by using a wildcard. She was chosen as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony and was disqualified from her event, the 1500 metres, for moving outside her lane during her heat.
context_section_description: Taonere Banda was the first Malawian Paralympic athlete to compete at the quadrennial event. She qualified for the games by using a wildcard because the country did not have any athletes who met the qualification standards. Banda spent the 60 days in the buildup to Rio training for the event, but amenities in Malawi were imperfect and she trained on a dusty, uneven running track without standard defined lanes. She stated that it had been her childhood ambition to represent Malawi at a major international sporting event and this was her sole opportunity to prove her athletic abilities in her event, the 1500 metres (T13). Banda was drawn in the first heat on 8 September. She attacked the first lap aggressively taking up a commanding lead, but her initial speed saw her tire in the latter stages and she lost the lead in the last 600 metres of the race to finish fourth. Banda was later disqualified when she was observed to leave her lane during the heat. Nevertheless, she said that when she returned to Malawi, she would encourage people with disabilities to work hard and participate in sporting events.
  Women's Track
caption: The Estádio Olímpico João Havelange, where Banda competed in athletics events.
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