VIDENA’s Athletics Stadium was packed with the excitement and joy of enthusiastic students once more, since they competed at this venue which was described as one of the best in the continent and was built for the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games.

Students belonging to the Public School Association of Cultural Associations (ADCA) participated in the traditional athletics competition for juniors and teenagers.

The students had the chance to compete on the official track of VIDENA’s Athletics Stadium for various 400- and 800-meter speed, hurdle and distance events, as well as high jump, long jump and throwing events. The National School Sports Games and the U-18 National Championship were previously held at this venue.

Students from the following schools had the chance to compete on a world-class stage: Peruano Norteamericano Abraham Lincoln, Peruano Alemán Alexander Von Humboldt, Colegio América del Callao, Colegio Italiano Antonio Raimondi, Colegio Augusto Weberbauer, Franco Peruano, Franklin Roosevelt, Colegio Hiram Bingham, Colegio La Unión, Markham College, Newton College, Colegio Pestalozzi, Colegio San Andrés and San Silvestre School.

The future stars of Peruvian athletics gathered, for three days, at the Athletics Stadium of the National Sports Village (VIDENA). Many of the young athletes experienced their first competition in a world class stage, which was built to host the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games.

The modern Athletics Stadium, which has an alternate warm-up stage, reopened its doors after hosting—only a few days ago—the National School Sports Games, and after having been the venue for the Lima 2019 athletics championship.

This time, the U-18 National Championship was contested and Liga de Barranco was crowned champion after scoring 164 points in the men’s category and 118 points in women’s category, for a total of 282 points.

Verónica Huacasi (Platería, Puno) and Guido Bustamante (Puno) achieved two of the best technical marks during this competition. Huacasi reached the mark in the 2000 m steeplechase and Bustamante did it in the 3000 m race.

Huacasi’s time was 7m 14s 56c, winning her the gold and the top technical mark, as well as adding 892 IAAF points. On the other hand, Bustamante finished his race with a time of 8m 30s 86c in the 3000 m event. With this mark, Bustamante beat the national U-18 record set in 2004 by Mario Bazán, with 8m 33s 06c in Guyana.

The U-18 National Championship gathered athletes from Lima and across the country, in addition to Bustamante and Huacasi, including Gabriel Cubas, Lucero Choca and Anthony Farfán.

The National Championship for children is set to take place early November, for the U-12, U-14 and U-16 categories, in the same Athletics Stadium, which has become a great legacy for sports practice in Peru.

The Pan American and Parapan American Games model is a studied subject and, therefore, the president of the Organizing Committee, Carlos Neuhaus, spoke at the Sports Expert Forum, organized by San Ignacio de Loyola University.

The event was organized by this university’s Physical Activity and Sport Sciences department. At the meeting, Neuhaus explained the main achievements of the best Pan American and Parapan American Games in history.

Carlos Neuhaus participated in the framework of the dissertation on the impact and massification of physical activity, at the Sports Expert Forum regarding national sports policy.

The president of Lima 2019 gave an account of his management, which began in September 2016, pointing out that the construction of the main buildings began in December 2017, with the Pan American Village, which was completed before the Games. He said that the agreement signed in 2019 with the UK was key.

At this event organized by the National Society of Industries, through the Industrial Development Center, Neuhaus explained the key elements that influenced the delivery and organization of the most important multi-sports celebration in the continent, considered the best in history by international organizations.

In the auditorium filled with university authorities and students of said degree, the president of Lima 2019 stated that, thanks to the Games, Peru now has new project management, which included transparency in the tendering process, which will remain as a legacy for society.

After the meeting, Carlos Neuhaus was recognized by the university due to the successful delivery of the Games in Peru.

The Lima 2019 legacy is present. A total of 192 students began their participation in the athletics events of the Peruvian School Sports Games at the Athletics Stadium in VIDENA.

The opening day, last Monday morning, included different sports events like pole vault, long jump, shot put, hammer throw, besides the competitions of speed of 110 m hurdles, 400 meters and the 1500 and 3000 m women’s and men’s long distance events.

Andy Martinez, Lima 2019 Ambassador, attended this first day and praised the fact that the infrastructure is used for a school event. “It’s the best because children are very motivated to use a world-class track. This is what we were looking for, that the sport can be popularized thanks to Lima 2019,” said the outstanding athlete.

The VIDENA stage will not only be used for athletics events. On Thursday 26, there will be Para athletics competitions for women and men such as 80 meters and long jump events in T20 (intellectual) and T11, 12 and 13 (visual), as well as shot put and 5x80m relay event, both in T20 (intellectual).

“I think it’s spectacular to include Para sports; all of them are important. Just the fact that they can come to see the competitions will encourage many people to practice sports, and the support is the most important thing,” stressed Martínez.

Gold medal

Gian Pierre Cárdenas, representative of the Alfred Binet School in Arequipa, was one of the first athletes to claim the gold medal after placing first in 1500 meters. “I feel very excited and happy after winning, when I passed the finish line I couldn’t believe it, I thought it was a dream,” he said.

The young athlete confessed that in a stage like VIDENA “I can fly, I feel that I can keep running.” In addition, he left a message to the younger athletes: “That they always train, because every effort is rewarded and I want to reach the World Youth Championship next year, that’s my goal, I want to compete in the 2000m obstacles,” said Cárdenas.

Admission is completely free and competitions begin at 8:30. There will be interesting competitions and the Lima 2019 legacy will be enjoyed until Friday, September 27.

The Lima 2019 Games became the starting point for modernized sports venues, which have made Peru an eligible destination for national and international sports competitions.  

The venues are fully operational and in optimal conditions, as they were at the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games. The fact that five national and international competitions are held this week proves this. 

The 27th Peruvian School Sports Games start today and will run until September 27, with more than 2600 students from 24 regions in competition. Competitions have already started at the modern Aquatic Center in VIDENA, one of the best in the Americas. This is where Alexia Sotomayor, the youngest athlete in the Peruvian delegation at the Pan American Games, showed all her skill to win the gold medals in 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke and relay. 

The students will also compete at the new VIDENA Athletics Stadium in the same competition conditions of those athletes participating in the Pan American and Parapan American Games. 

LAS PALMAS SHOOTING RANGE 

Las Palmas Shooting Range is another Lima 2019 venue holding an international event, built for shooting and Para shooting events. This is where Marko Carrillo and Nicolás Pacheco stepped onto the podium at the Pan American Games, with Jorge Arcela doing so at the Parapan American Games. The 6th Ibero-American Shotgun Championships will take place this week at this venue, in skeet and trap events.  

Official training sessions begin tomorrow and Thursday, and the competitions will be held from Friday 20 to Sunday 22. The event is organized by the FDNTP (Peruvian Shooting Federation). 

The Peruvian team will consist of Alessandro de Souza, Nicolás Pacheco, Asier Cillóniz, Marco Matellini and Flavio Artoni, among the main representatives. Around 40 shooters from Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala and Brazil will participate, as well as the Peruvian team. 

VILLA MARÍA DEL TRIUNFO 

The National Field Hockey Championship will take place this Sunday on the two fields built at the Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center, which will reopen its door for this competition. Admission will be free of charge for all those who want to attend this competition in Southern Lima. 

It will be an unprecedented event, as it is the first edition of this hockey competition, where nine teams (four women’s and five men’s) will compete. San Silvestre Sport, Colegio Mater Admirábilis, OMA and Lima Cricket teams will participate in the women’s events. OMA, Lions, Libardoni, Lima Cricket and Santa María Sport teams will take part in the men’s events. 

Matches between San Silvestre Sport and Mater Admirábilis (women’s); OMA and Lima Cricket (men’s), and Lima Cricket and OMA (women’s) will be played this Sunday 22, starting at 09:00 at the main field of the Villa Maria del Triunfo Sports Center. Santa María Sport will face off Lions (men’s) at field 2, starting at 12:00. 

This morning, the current edition of the Peruvian School Sports Games (JDEN 2019), organized by the Ministry of Education through the Bureau of Physical Education and Sport, was presented at the stunning VIDENA Aquatic Center, with the participation of the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games medalists. 

Two weeks after the Parapan American Games ended, one of the Lima 2019 venues will reopen its doors, starting this Monday, to host this school sports event that will gather representatives from the 24 regions of Peru.   

Precisely, the swimming competitions will take place at the modern Aquatic Center. The Athletics Stadium, which recently gathered the best athletes in the Americas, will also be used for these Games. Schoolchildren will be able to compete at the highest level in the same conditions. 

The presentation featured Flor Pablo, Minister of Education; Carlos Neuhaus, president of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee; Sebastián Suito, head of the Peruvian Sports Institute; Susana Córdova from MINEDU’s Bureau of Physical Education and Sport; and Pan American and Parapan American Games medalists María Fernanda Reyes and Piccolo Clemente, Para athlete Carlos Felipa and boxer José María Lúcar; as well as Kimberly Cardoza and Alexia Sotomayor, who competed in the Pan American Games in athletics and swimming, respectively. 

In this meeting, the Minister of Education highlighted the organization of the School Games in the venues built for Lima 2019. “Being in these Lima 2019 facilities is impressive, because they have left us an important legacy, not only in infrastructure. Lima 2019 also left us a cultural and emotional legacy for a country that looks forward to the Bicentennial with hope.” 

“Lima 2019 gave us the opportunity to confirm that we can do things well when we work together. It also allowed us to show our valuable culture. From now on, we hope to establish an alliance so that sports at school will become the starting point to reach high-level competitions,” said the minister. 

Meanwhile, Carlos Neuhaus, on behalf of Lima 2019, expressed his satisfaction with the organization of the School Games in Pan American and Parapan American venues. “These venues are evidence that the effort was worth it. Seeing so many schoolchildren here will be important, because surely more than one of them will reach the Olympic Games, after previously taking part in the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. My recent work experience was very exciting and beautiful, especially because the athletes filled us with emotion and made history with the number of medals they won. The impact of the Lima 2019 Games was positive and good for Peru. We have done things well, but this was everyone’s job. The Games filled us with pride and motivation, and made an impact on young people. We are still working here,” Neuhaus said. 

More than 2600 students from 24 regions of Peru will participate in the Peruvian School Sports Games, in addition to 154 Para athletes, who will compete for the first time in this type of school tournaments, with the slogan “Everything Begins Here”. The Games will take place from September 16 to 27, 2019. During this period, the best Peruvian school athletes and Para athletes will put their sports skills to the test in a fair competition that will strengthen a healthy school environment. 

IN THE BEST CONDITIONS 

Lima 2019 will grant the use of the 50-meter pool and the warm-up pool of the Aquatic Center, as well as the grandstands seating approximately 2400 people, for this school competition. 

They will be able to use the main 400-meter track at the Athletics Stadium, and the 400-meter track and warm-up areas, as well as the western grandstand, for approximately 3000 people, the long jump pits and the main field for javelin, shot put, discus and hammer throw events. 

School athletes and Para athletes will be able to compete in the best conditions and on stages where world-class stars shone, such as American Nathan Adrian, winner of eight Olympic gold medals; or Omara Durand, the fastest woman in the Paralympic world and winner of three gold medals at Lima 2019. 

This is how Lima 2019 seeks to contribute to forge future generations, inspired by Olympic and Paralympic values, with world-class sports venues to use sports as a tool for social transformation. 

The National School Sports Games have always been a great opportunity to discover potential sporting talent for Peru. School is the ideal place to instill values in our children, teenagers and young people that will allow them to be better members of Peruvian society. 

Reflecting the motto “Everything starts here”, 11 athletes who represented Peru at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games originally competed in the School Games, a first experience in the sports that they are now best known for. In fact, they stood out in many of the 15 disciplines that are part of the multi-sports event starting on September 16. 

Take, for example, race walker Kimberly García, Lima 2019 silver medal and qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Back in 2008, she won the gold in the race walk event at the national stage of the School Games and since them, she trained to stand out in its discipline. “I want to tell the children to enjoy the competition. Whether they win or lose, [they should] always compete with great spirit,” she said. 

Likewise, swimmer Paula Tamashiro twice beat the national 100m breaststroke record at Lima 2019, a record which had stood for 11 years. She participated in this school event in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Now it is over to the students to compete in the VIDENA Aquatic Center and beat their own times. 

Talents in women's handball also emerged at the School Games, to be eventually called up for the senior Peruvian team. This is the case of top scorer Ariana Cruz, Angie Vásquez, Camila Delgado and María Miranda, who were part of the team who represented Peru at the last Pan American Games. 

Other elite Pan American athletes in this group are Clarivet Yllescas and Ángela Leyva (volleyball); Noemí Huayhuameza (judo); Alexia Sotomayor, who is participating in this School Games edition; and karateka John Trebejo, who originally competed in athletics. 

The dreams of the athletes of the future start on Monday, September 16. Join them by showing your support from the stands. Admission is free.

1. Mexican racquetball player Paola Longoria won her third gold in the Pan American Games, winning the singles and doubles events.
2. Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas took her first gold in the Pan American Games, after winning the triple jump event, even setting a new Pan American record.
3. Colombian cyclist Mariana Pajón got her second gold medal in the Pan American Games, after the one she won at Guadalajara 2011.
4. Argentina’s basketball team clearly won the competition and picked up their second gold medal since Mar del Plata 1995. The team led by Luis Scola amazed the audience at the Eduardo Dibós Coliseum.
5. The Argentina’s hockey teams qualified to Tokyo 2020, showing their talent in each match, at the Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center. “Las Leonas” got their seventh gold and “Los Leones”, the tenth. Total Supremacy.
6. Brazilian tennis player Hugo Calderano won two gold medals in singles and doubles. The best player in the history of the Americas shone in Lima 2019 with his best talent.
7. Cuban wrestler Mijaín López reached his fifth consecutive Pan American gold at Lima 2019. The athlete who is also five-time world champion and three-time Olympic champion thanked the warmth of the Peruvian people.
8. Argentinian men’s rugby team stopped the two-time Canadian champion’s supremacy in the Pan American Games. Los Pumas swept all their rivals, in an amazing physical game, in Villa Maria del Triunfo.
9. Cuban Boxing shone again in a continental competition with eight gold medals out of 10 possible finals. Seven world champions and three Olympians confirmed that Cuba leads in this sport.
10. Brazilian swimmer Leonardo de Deus became three-time Pan American champion in the 200 m butterfly event, even though he was not on the Brazilian Olympic Committee’s initial list. He came in to replace a teammate who tested positive in the doping control. In addition, he claimed gold in mixed 4x100 medley relay, silver in 4x100 medley relay and bronze in 200 m backstroke.
11. Venezuelan fencer Ruben Limardo was crowned three-time Pan American champion in épée event. He also won bronze in the team event, having a total of eight medals in the Pan American Games.
12. Argentinian swimmer Delfina Pignatiello was crowned as the queen of the waters at Lima 2019, when she claimed three gold medals in the races of 400, 800 and 1500 meters. At the age of 19, she is the child prodigy in swimming throughout South America.
13. The American swimmer Margo Geer took four gold medals, one individual and four in relay events, becoming one of the most successful participants in Lima 2019.
14. Colombian athlete Anthony Zambrano won two gold medals in the 400m and 4x400m events, standing out as one of the new South American stars in athletics for the Tokyo 2020 Games.
15. Mexican diver Kevin Berlin was crowned as the new Latin American star after winning the 10m platform individual and synchronized events.
16. Cuban judoka Idalys Ortíz picked up her third consecutive gold medal in the +78 kg event. She is one of the most successful athletes in Cuba.
17. American wrestler Kyle Snyder became Pan American champion for the second time in the 97 kg event.  At the age of 23, he is also Olympic champion and two-time world champion.
18. Swimmer Marcela Cunha won gold in open water swimming and closed a wonderful year, after two world gold medals in the 5 and 25 km aquatic marathon. With 10 gold medals, she was crowned as the woman with the most titles in the World Aquatic Sports Championships and entered the Hall of Fame, after winning at Lima 2019.
19. Peruvian karateka Alexandra Grande and water skier Natalia Cuglievan went down in the history of Peruvian sport after winning their second consecutive gold medals in the Pan American Games. This fact will remain in history.

Many images will remain in our memory, since that July 24, when the eighteenth edition of the Pan American Games started in the beach volleyball courts of Costa Verde San Miguel. The 6680 athletes that visited Lima 2019 left us beautiful moments of triumph and defeat that will forever carved in the memory of each person that had the chance of being part of this sport celebration of the Americas.

1. The Games opening ceremony was a reunion with our culture and national identity. The most touching moment was the participation of the tenor Juan Diego Flórez, singing live Chabuca Granda´s songs.
2. The first medal for Peru was awarded on July 27, in taekwondo – Poomsae. The silver medal for Hugo del Castillo and the medal awarded to Marcela Castillo ignited the fans at the Callao Sports Center.
3. The first gold medal for Peru was awarded on that same day. Gladys Tejeda, and Christian Pacheco right after, broke Pan American records in marathon to earn their medals.
4. Peru ended that memorable July 27 with a third gold medal, after the victory of Diego Elías in squash. In just one day, Peruvian athletes matched the best gold medal count on Pan American Games. 
5. British Virgin Islands (Chantel Malone in long jump), Grenada (Anderson Peters in javelin throw), Bolivia (in racquetball in teams), Barbados (Shane Brathwaite in 110 meters hurdles) and Paraguay (Fabrizio Zanotti in golf) won their first gold medals in the history of the Pan American Games. An indelible memory for these nations in Lima 2019. In addition, Aruba won its first medal with the bronze obtained by Mack van den Eerenbeemt in sailing.
6. Andrea Vargas became the first Costa Rican women to win a gold medal in athletics for her country. She defeated two Americans in the 100 meters hurdles event.
7. Natalia Cuglievan and Alexandra Grande won their second consecutive gold medal .in Pan American Games. They are the most prize-winning Peruvian athletes in this kind of continental events.
8. Peruvian surf took three golds in an unprecedented session in Punta Rocas. Benoit Clemente, Daniella Rosas and Luca Mesinas reached the top of the Pan American podium.                                       
9. Romantic moments. The Argentinian gymnast Federico Molinari proposes to her fiancée Paula Cancio during a live interview. In addition, Peruvian athlete Paola Mautino was surprised by her fiancé and coach, after competing in the 4x100 m event, when he approached her, a ring in his hand, to ask her to marry him.
10. Men's karate reached a milestone for Peruvian sport: four medals in four finals. The kata men’s team took the gold. Peru won three bronzes in the men’s and women’s individual kata and in the women’s team event.
11. The moving drop-off from Argentinian judoka Paula Pareto because of an injury. She fought with a back pain in Lima 2019, but she did it as a champion. However, she could not fight for the bronze and lost by walk-over.
12. In the 4x100 freestyle relay, Brazil defeated USA and completely destroyed the Pan American record at the Aquatic Center.
13. The uncontrollable crying of Brazilian Ederson Vilela at the top of the podium, after winning the 10000 m event at the athletics stadium of VIDENA. Vilela confessed that he did not think he could win this event, that his hopes were on the 5000 m event where he placed seventh.
14. Brazil won the 1500 meters swimming event, after 68 years, in Buenos Aires 1951. Guilherme Costa dominated the men’s endurance event.
15. The Brazilian women’s handball team won its fifth consecutive gold in Lima 2019 by defeating Argentina, for the third consecutive time in this kind of event.
16. Eve Jobs, Steve Jobs’ daughter, competed in the equestrian jumping event and won bronze in the individual contest. The Apple's co-founder heir was very happy with how Peru welcomed her.
17. Argentina made the podium in every group sport, except in women’s basketball. The women’s team lost its match against Colombia by W.O. because athletes were not wearing the uniform agreed at the technical meeting the day before.
18. Nathan Adrian, one of the biggest USA swimming stars, won two gold and three silver medals in Lima. The American swimmers praised the Games organization and was amazed by the five cuchimilcos he received in the podium.
19. The Mexican diver Paola Espinosa reached an amazing score in Lima 2019 by winning her fifth medal in Pan American Games, something that will be forever carved in Mexico’s sport history.

Ecuadorian athletes shined once more in the Lima 2019 race walk event. In the cold morning of Miraflores, two more triumphs were added to the gold medal won by Daniel Pintado in the 20 km event held on August 4. Claudio Villanueva and Johana Ordóñez dominated the 50 km race and, both, got emotional with the achieved victory while crossing the finish line with their flag.

Villanueva’s dedication was touching. Twelve years ago, his father disappeared while hiking the mountains of Cajas, in his native city of Cuenca and, until now, his whereabouts are unknown. His eternal memory has strengthened the Ecuadorian race walker in all of his races, and these Pan American Games were not the exception.

“My family is my greatest strength. Each time I fall, I get motivated to keep moving forward because I remember my missing father and each time my son moves, as he has cerebral palsy. And to my father, is you are alive, this gold medal goes to you; but if you are no longer amongst us, look after me always from heaven,” mentioned the champion.

Then, Johanna Ordóñez, who also trains in the training base of Cuenca, won with comfort in the women's category. In this event, the Peruvian Yoci Caballero finished seventh beating her personal record of 4h 31m 33s and ended with tears in her eyes, due to the moving support from the crowd.

“I have mixed emotions. I am grateful for the cheers of the people, many who I do not know, but I would like to hug everyone; however, I am also sad because I could not give a medal to my country. The gold medal I take with me is that after so much time I reunited my family (they were between the spectators), after so much time apart,” mentioned the Peruvian athlete.

There are many stories like this one in sports. We need to value each person’s efforts. It is not about winning or losing in life.

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