Career
Visually impaired, having "lost his sight at a young age", he has represented Panama at five consecutive editions of the Summer Paralympic Games. He was one of Panama"s only two representatives during its inaugural participation in the Games, in 1992 in Barcelona. He funded his own participation.
He entered three events in running, in the B3 category, and medalled in all three.
In the 1,500m race, he took silver in 4:02.32, just eight hundredths of a second behind French athlete Christophe Carayon, who set a new Paralympic record. In the 800m, he outran Carayon in the heats, but lost to him in the final.
The Frenchman set a new world record in 1:54.79, while Gomez took silver in 1:55.67. Gomez was Panama"s only competitor at the 1996 Games, and entered two races (T12 category), winning gold in both.
In the 5,000m, he set a Paralympic record, winning gold in 15:01.49 - with a stunning lead of over 53 seconds on silver medallist Diosmani Gonzales, of Cuba.
In 2000, he was again Panama"s sole representative, and entered the same two races. This time, he finished third in the 1,500m (in 4:0601), and second in the 5,000m (in 15:2164), but preserved his record of winning a medal in every Paralympic race he had ever taken part in. In 2004, Gomez entered the 5,000m and 10,000m races (T13 category), though this time he was not Panama"s sole competitor, as compatriot Désirée Aguilar competed in swimming.
Gomez"s participation in the 2008 Games in Beijing was, for the first time, funded by his country"s Paralympic committee, rather than by himself.
He competed once more in the 1,500m and 5,000m events (T13). Running in heat 3 in the 1,500m, he clocked a time of 4:19.60, well below his performance eight years earlier.
Fifth in his heat, he did not advance to the final. Thus, for the first time, he returned from the Games without a medal.
He was one of two recipients of the award, along with South African swimmer Natalie du Toit.
The award came with "a medal made out of 75 grams pure gold".