By Renzo Manyari, President of the Peruvian Olympic Committee
With five days to go until the end of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, the Peruvian delegation has won 21 medals, the minimum forecast I anticipated for the continental competition. I must highlight the effort of our athletes and their commitment to the national team.
The continental crown in the 20-kilometer race walk was destined for Kimberly García from Huancayo. However, she approached the competition with determination and simplicity. As expected, she dominated the race with authority.
Although the electronic scoreboards had unexpected problems, the Peruvian crossed the finish line in first place without a doubt. The gold medal on her chest was a just reward for her dedication.
Evelyn Inga made her maximum effort and finished in third place. She proudly wore the bronze medal. Between her and Kimberly, the Ecuadorian Glenda Morejón stood, who pushed the pace to claim the silver medal with her second place finish.
GOLD TABLE
The gold table also showed its extraordinary sporting moment with three gold medals out of Peru's six. Benoit 'Piccolo' Clemente in longboard defeated Chilean Rafael Cortez, María Fernanda Reyes also in longboard surpassed Brazilian Chloe Calmon who in Lima 2019 defeated the Peruvian; and Lucca Messina in shortboard defeated Venezuelan Francisco Bellorín. Clemente and Messina confirmed the titles they won in Lima 2019.
The other three gold medals were won by athletes Christian Pacheco in the marathon and Kimberly in the 20 km race walk, and track cyclist Hugo Ruiz Calle.
Peru's silver medals, so far, were won by Angelo Caro in skateboarding and Itzel Delgado in Sup Race (paddleboard). The bronze medals go to: Luis Ostos, Evelyn Inga, and Gladys Tejeda (athletics); Inés Castillo and José Guevara (mixed badminton team); Eriberto Gutiérrez (canoeing); David Bardalez (weightlifting); Camila Figueroa (judo); Vania Torres and Miguel Tudela (surfing); Hugo del Castillo (taekwondo); Daniella Borda, Nicolás Pacheco, and Cristian Morales (shooting).
There are still some events left for the Peruvian delegation to add more medals. On Sunday, November 5, we will have the final count and then make the final evaluation. Until then, all the best for our athletes!