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LIMA 2019 FOREIGN MEDALISTS TAKE HOME AN EMOTIONAL MEMORY OF PERU
Athletes exalt Peru as host of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.
After 17 days of competition, the Lima 2019 Pan American Games have left a mark in the memory of the most outstanding athletes of the Americas. Whether it is the Olympic quality of the organization, its incomparable culinary, the distinctive joy of its fans, among other traits; the truth is Peru has offered the best of itself to the international athletic community.
The medalists are the ones who can testify the feats achieved in this multi-sports event carried out for the first time in Peru. At Jorge Chávez International Airport, before flying back home, some athletes shared their impressions about Peru.
Brazilian karateka Valeria Kumizaki, who won the gold medal in women’s under 55 kg, said: “I thank Peru for the heart of fans and the fraternal welcome that makes us feel at home.”
Her fellow compatriot Douglas Brose, silver in men’s Kumite under 60 kg, said: “I’m impressed by the Lima 2019 organization level. The fact that Peru has been able to organize this event proves that with perseverance and will everything can be achieved in life, and that’s a valuable example for an athlete.”
On the other hand, Colombian athlete Carlos Sanmartín, who claimed the silver medal in the men's 3000 m steeplechase event, highlighted that it was the first time he participates in the Pan American Games and has lived “an amazing experience, Peruvian culture is awesome, especially the food and the hospitality of the people.”
Athletes also highlighted how the organization achieved a cultural atmosphere for the fraternal development of this multi-sports event, where no foreign felt outsider, as Peruvian fans reminded them in each event of Lima 2019 that they were also at home, so let’s all play!
After the successful organization of Lima 2019, Peru consolidates, on the one hand, as the heart of the sports in the Americas; and on the other, as a fraternity space where the diverse cultures of the Americas gather, represented by their athletes following the Olympic values.