The Lima 2019 Games have brought us joy, amazing feats, surprises, admiration and also... FREE ART! Concerts, plays, workshops and more free cultural activities ending this week. You aren't going to miss them, are you?
He looked up to the sky, he hugged his team when he was announced the winner of the time trial competition for Para cycling road. Israel Hilario, proud Lima 2019 ambassador won the tough competition for cyclists from all over the continent. It was a great mark.
Israel competed against world and Olympic champions such as Joseph Berenyi from the USA or Diego Dueñas, Alejandro Perea and Edwin Matiz (with less severe physical impairments) from Colombia. The athlete from Huanuco had a strategy for the 31.2 kms in the circuit at the Costa Verde San Miguel. Lauro Moro form Brazil (silver) Dueñas from Colombia (bronze) completed the podium.
“I am happy for representing my country in such an interesting and challenging competition. I understand it is a bit complicated to compete against cyclists from other classes but it is a good training for Tokyo 2020. This shows everything is possible and that we can compete against great athletes from the Americas” mentioned Israel when finishing the competition.
Hilario felt happy about the public that attended the competition. “It is amazing to see how we are growing. Our society has started to understand that Para athletes can also be winners and that sports can build a better future”, he said.
Athletes from the football 5-a-side team said goodbye to the Parapan American Games with the support of Peruvian fans, who are called the “the best fanbase in the world” for good reason, because they never stopped rooting for the national team in every match in spite of some bad scores.
Yesterday, Peru lost 5-1 to Brazil, current world champion and Paralympic champion, and the team said goodbye to the competition. However, they received and standing ovation after the match for all their dedication and effort in the Parapan American Games.
While they were all together singing our second anthem “Contigo Perú” at Villa María del Triunfo, the athletes said goodbye and showed their gratitude for all the support they received during competition days. Likewise, after the match, many fans wanted to take selfies with the athletes.
The Peruvian fans pointed out that, despite losing some matches, they have gained a lot of experience and that will be useful in upcoming competitions. “Now, Peruvians know more about this sport and will always support us,” said a Peruvian Para athlete.
Today at 14:30 Mexico and Colombia will compete for the bronze medal and at 17:30 Brazil and Argentina will fight for the gold.
We should remember football 5-a-side is a discipline adapted for people with visual impairment and it uses a ball that makes noise. Each team consists of four people with low visual acuity and/or who do not perceive light, plus a goalkeeper without a visual impairment.
He is one of the best Para athletes at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games and he just won a silver medal for our country, but before achieving this great dream, he lived a nightmare that can only be compared to a series of fiction on Netflix.
In the four days that Dunia Felices competed in the Parapan American Games, she managed to gather so many people in the Aquatic Center that she was moved to tears. In the audience was the president of COPAL, Carlos Neuhaus, who gave the Lima 2019 ambassador a hug once the event had ended.
Neuhaus witnessed Dunia’s dedication during the years she spent preparing for the Games. So, he went down to the competitors’ area to praise her effort, unaware that an amusing incident was going to take place.
“Just as I was going back to the competitors’ area, I ran into Carlos Neuhaus and, while he was praising me, a Colombian swimmer came up to us and congratulated me. I didn’t understand anything because I thought I’d finished fourth. That’s when Carlos hugged me and said he brought me luck,” stated Felices.
Regarding her performance this evening, she said: “I knew that in the 50 m butterfly I could win something, despite feeling more comfortable in long distance events. What does move me is the unconditional support of the audience. Despite everything, they came these four days. This medal is for you too,” she said.
Dunia confessed she evolved in some respects: “I improved my race finish. I even pushed harder in the last 25 meters, despite taking a while to hit the water; but I still have many years to correct that. This is my second year competing and I know you don’t become an athlete overnight. That’s why experiencing something like Lima 2019 is so important,” she added.
After the Parapan American Games, the Para swimmer will compete at the World Championships in London. She will participate in four events, but she will focus mainly on 50 m butterfly, as well as 200 and 100 m freestyle. “I will focus on these three styles to reach the qualification times for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games,” she concluded.
CHEER HER ON FROM THE STANDS
Tomorrow is Dunia’s last day of competitions. You can buy tickets starting at PEN 10. There will be a 50% discount for children under 18, senior citizens and people with an impairment.
You can purchase tickets at the ticket booths in VIDENA and at the 11 authorized points of sale located around the city
You can also purchase them online at lima2019.pe/tickets, where you will find the detailed competition calendar. In the case of e-tickets, printing will no longer be necessary since customers can show their e-ticket from their mobile phones at the entrance of the sports venue.
Only two days away from the end of the Americas’ top Para sports competition, the Peruvian Para badminton team will fight for a place in the final and on the podium. Outstanding Para athletes Pilar Jáuregui and Pedro Pablo de Vinatea will be Peru’s representatives.
The Lima 2019 Ambassadors, who delivered comprehensive defeats to their USA and Brazil counterparts in singles, will face off the experienced Cuban team featuring Maydelin Soriano and Rolando Bello. The match will take place at VIDENA Sports Center 3 at 9:00. The competition day will also feature Canada, Chile, Guatemala, among other teams. If they win their respective matches, they will advance to the semifinals, to be played in the afternoon. After going through this stage, they will compete for the gold on Saturday, August 31.
Meanwhile, the Peruvian Para cycling road team—featuring world’s Top Ten Israel Hilario—will be put to the test in the exciting races to be held at Costa Verde San Miguel, starting at 9:00.
In addition, Peruvian Para athlete Carlos Raymundo Cano will attempt to win in front of the home crowd in a fascinating boccia competition against Argentinian Mauricio Ibarbure, to take place at Villa El Salvador Sports Center at 10::00. The Chile, Mexico, Canada, Ecuador, Brazil and Colombia teams will also compete in this session, starting at 9:00.
The wheelchair basketball semifinals will feature Canada, Colombia, Argentina and the USA in thrilling games taking place at VIDENA Sports Center 1, starting at 10:30.
With regard to Para swimming, tough competitions for the gold medal will take place at VIDENA Aquatic Center, starting at 9:00. They include 50m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 200m medley, 100m breaststroke, 100m butterfly, among others.
The Para taekwondo competitions are scheduled to start at 9:00. It is worth noting that the Para athletes qualified for the second session finals, starting at 15:00, will compete for the gold, silver and bronze medals in the K44 -49 kg, K44 -61 kg, K44 -58 kg and other categories. This competition will also feature Peruvian representative Angélica Espinoza.
Meanwhile, the final events for wheelchair tennis will take place at Lawn Tennis Club, starting at 11:00. These will decide the winners of the men’s and women’s quad singles and doubles events.
As for Para powerlifting, the gold medal winners will be defined in the 59 kg, 61 kg, -73 kg, -65 kg and -72 kg events at the VIDENA Sports Center 1. The events will feature the Americas’ best Para powerlifters, who will seek to go down in Para sports history.
The Miguel Grau Coliseum in Callao will house the women’s goalball semifinals, starting at 15:00. Last but not least, the gripping football 5-a-side final will take place at Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center, starting at 14:30.
On more than one occasion, he threw himself to the ground so as not to drop the shuttlecock. He won the match and passed through the mixed zone, serious and almost without smiling.
“I know it could’ve gone better,” Jesús Salvá told us, who in his debut beat Argentinian Ángel Ielpo 2 to 1 in a close match, in VIDENA’s Sports Center 3.
“At last year’s South American Championship we played three sets. Luckily, I beat him again, but we still have to work to reach our goal of winning the gold,” added Salvá.
Salvá, considered amongst South America’s top three in the S6 category (short stature), debuted at Lima 2019 with this victory. The Peruvian fans never stopped cheering him on from the stands, because of his effort and character. They applauded him at the end of the match. “It’s part of my character; it’s part of the game too, because you have to do everything you can to save the shuttlecock and score the point. The cheers really helped me and it’s good that people are coming out to support the Para athletes,” he highlighted.
Jesús will play his second match this Friday against Brazilian Para athlete Tavares, with his mind set on making it to the next stage. “Right now, I have to focus on Lima. Then it will be time to focus on Tokyo and on adding points to qualify,” he concluded.
The Para badminton competition will begin at 09:00. Jenny Ventocilla will face Canada’s Olivia Meier, while Pilar Jáuregui will seek a place in the semifinal in her match against Cuba’s Maydelin Soriano.
In men’s doubles, Fajardo and Miranda will compete against Brazil’s Cano and Soares. Pedro Pablo de Vinatea will face Cuba’s Rolando Bello, while Alberto Cadenillas will compete against Brazil’s Cavalli. Finally, in mixed doubles, Cueto and Ventocilla will face off against Canadians Lapointe and Meier.
Starting at 15:00, the men’s, women’s and mixed semifinals will be contested. The competitions will come to an end on Sunday, September 1. If you would like to enjoy more competitions and cheer on the Para athletes, you can purchase your tickets on the official website (www.lima2019.pe) and at authorized points of sale.
The Aquatic Center exploded with the applause of fans as they energetically cheered for Dunia Felices. The Para swimmer gathered over two thousand spectators once again and, this time, they witnessed her first medal at the Parapan American Games in the 50 meter butterfly final, class S5 (physical impairment). This event is not her specialty but she gave it her all.
Although the Peruvian finished fourth, she benefited from the disqualification of Mexican Patricia Valle, who had arrived third at the finish line. However, the judges concluded she had committed a technical irregularity, which favored Dunia who finished with a time of 1:02:23 in her third consecutive final at Lima 2019.
Felices stood on the podium alongside Brazilians Joana Silva (gold) and Esthefany de Oliveira (silver). She will be back in action tomorrow starting at 09:15, in the event which she considers to be her best: 200 meter freestyle. She has great expectations for this competition and the Peruvian public will definitely be by her side.
You can buy tickets to Dunia’s last competition starting at PEN 10. There will be a 50% discount for children under 18, senior citizens and people with an impairment. You can buy tickets in the ticket booths at VIDENA and the 11 authorized points of sale located around the city.
You can also purchase them online at lima2019.pe/tickets, where you will find the detailed competition calendar. In the case of e-tickets, printing will no longer be necessary since customers can show their e-ticket from their mobile phones at the entrance of the sports venue.
More than 600 students and teachers of the N ° 7094 Sasakawa and Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo schools in Villa El Salvador had an exciting day and learned about boccia, a precision discipline that has been designed exclusively for people with cerebral palsy and motor impairment.
The pool stage of this competition started today at the Villa El Salvador Sports Center. Fifty-two Para athletes from 11 countries will compete for the seven medals awarded for this sport.
Young students from both schools attended this sports celebration, thanks to the second stage of the “Soy Lima 2019” campaign. Más de ochenta mil estudiantes se han beneficiado con las entradas solidarias.
The principal of the Nº 7094 Sasakawa school, Ada Rosa Figueroa, said the Parapan American Games gave her students a life lesson because it allows them to learn about new sports and the Para athletes’ desire to move forward, as well as their struggles, enthusiasm and energy. Thanks to these experiences, students learn to value more what they have and what they can achieve.
The vice principal of the Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo school, Rosa Picho, said that thanks to the Parapan American Games, students are learning to be supportive of people with an impairment. Picho also highlights the sensitivity with them in each of the competitions she attended, which turns Lima into an impairment-friendly city.
It is a Para sport involving strategy and precision that was originally created for athletes with cerebral palsy, but nowadays it is played by people with different physical impairments.
Boccia has four sport classes: BC1 for Para athletes with cerebral palsy and may have a sport assistant to perform actions such as give the ball; BC2 for Para athletes with cerebral palsy who do not require an assistant; BC3 for those with cerebral palsy or a severe physical impairment who are allowed to use a ramp to throw the ball; and BC4 for athletes with non-cerebral impairments who do not require an assistant to throw the ball.
The Peruvian team for the Lima 2019 Games is made up of Dean Acosta, Carlos Cano, Javier Soto, and María Cecilia Pancca.
Boccia players have six balls of different colors (red and blue), and the game starts with a player throwing a white or target ball. A point is scored for each ball getting as close as possible to the target ball, in relation to the rivals.
The Lima 2019 Organizing Committee developed this initiative from April this year. The campaign has three stages. The first one included visiting many schools in Lima to teach the Olympic and Paralympic values such as equality, inspiration, courage, and determination through activations, socio-cultural activities and the participation of high-performance athletes.
In the second stage, students attend a competition to learn about new Para sport disciplines, so that they inspire more boys and girls, and raise awareness for the future. Also, it builds a society with more opportunities for people with an impairment.
The third and last stage will be the application of the lessons learned from the Pan American and Parapan American Games at the schools.
Since she left her hometown of Puerto Maldonado when she was four, Noemí Vásquez always had to fight adversity. Poliomyelitis paralyzed her lower limb muscles, but that did not stop her from persevering. This afternoon she won the bronze medal in the Para powerlifting -50 kg category in a packed Sports Center and she confirmed that being dedicated was worth it.
Noemí lives in Arequipa with her mother Guillermina, her main motivation to persevere in this discipline. Today Guillermina could not be in the stands cheering her on, but everything was dedicated to her. With tears in her eyes, she remembered all the effort they put in together to make her dream of making it on to the podium at the Parapan American Games come true.
“I feel blessed by God and I cried so much when they confirmed that I had won the medal. It made leaving my mother and my son in Arequipa for four months to train in Lima worth it. She must be very excited because she always encouraged me to keep going and helped me with everything,” Naomi said.
Vásquez won the medal by lifting 40 kg on her first attempt and convincing the judges’ assessment. “During this time, I worked a lot on my technique, prepared psychologically and even followed a meticulous diet. This last week I felt a lot of pressure and even got stressed with the coach’s instructions, but I felt so supported that I went in with a lot of confidence,” she concluded.
You can purchase tickets to watch the remaining Para powerlifting competitions starting at PEN 10. There will be a 50% discount for children under 18, senior citizens and people with an impairment. You can buy tickets at the ticket booths in VIDENA and at the 11 authorized points of sale located around the city.
You can also purchase them online at lima2019.pe/tickets, where you will find the detailed competition calendar. In the case of e-tickets, printing will no longer be necessary since customers can show their e-ticket from their mobile phones at the entrance of the sports venue.