Author: Lima 2019 press release Lima, 5 August 2019

PEOPLE FLOODED MIRAFLORES STREETS TO CHEER ON RACE WALKING ATHLETES

The relatives of Kimberly García, who won silver, praised the athlete’s “feat” in spite of her injury.

Familiares Kimberly García

Great hosts. Hundreds of people, both Peruvian and foreign, flooded the streets of Miraflores district to enthusiastically cheer on the athletes participating in the much-anticipated race walking event at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. The Peruvian team took part in both men’s and women’s events.

The spectators showed their commitment to the athletes by respecting the rules for the event: not throwing objects to the competition track, not throwing water at the athletes, not taking pets and not obstructing the circuit. The duly announced road closure was also complied with by the public.

As a result, the sports event unfolded without any interruptions, displaying a high quality in terms of organization. The #LetsAllPlay motto was embraced by the spectators, who wore t-shirts and flags of their respective countries to root for their national athletes.

Among the spectators were the relatives of Kimberly García León, silver medal winner in the women's 20 kilometer event. They praised the athlete’s “feat” considering she is injured.

“We’re proud of her for this new record. What she did today was quite a feat because she has a knee injury. Even so, she made a huge effort and won a medal for Peru. Long live Peru!” said her mother, Gabriela León, who was carrying her own stopwatch to measure her daughter’s time. They arrived from Huánuco.

Mayor of Lima Jorge Muñoz awarded the medals to the women’s event winners. The gold medal went to Colombian Sandra Arenas, while Peruvian Kimberly García and Brazilian Erica Sena were awarded silver and bronze, respectively.

Another member of the Peruvian team was Mary Luz Andia, who is only 18 years old. She finished in the 10th place. “I’m satisfied with my performance. I’m young and I still have a lot to give. This is part of my experience and I’m sure that I’ll have better results soon because that’s what I’m training for,” she explained upon reaching the finish line.   

In the men’s event, the gold went to Ecuadorian Brian Pintado, the silver medal was for Brazilian Caio Oliveira and the bronze medal was awarded to Guatemalan José Barrondo. The only Peruvian who took part in this competition, José Mamani, was disqualified.