On August 30, the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games will witness the effort and persistence of the best 67 Para athletes in the continent when they kick off the time trial event in the Para cycling road competition.  

The competition starts and finishes at the Costa Verde venue, which is located near the Av. Sucre entrance ramp. From there, riders will cycle to Pampilla beach in Miraflores, where they will make a U-turn and return to the Costa Verde venue in Magdalena. The route also includes the districts of San Isidro, Miraflores and Barranco. 

It is important to note that the Costa Verde beach circuit and all of its access roads will be closed from today at 22:00 until August 30 at 22:00.  

In this event, in which both men and women compete, spectators will be able to enjoy the sports celebration, see participants up close and cheer them on in their battle to reach the finish line. A total of 47 men and 20 women will participate in this competition. The Peruvian team consists of Job Israel Hilario Rimas and Yuber Pichihua Pérez. 

The Lima 2019 Parapan American Games Organizing Committee provides the following recommendation for the public who, starting tomorrow, will attend this competition venue: 

To enter: 

• All spectators, including minors, must have their tickets to enter.  

• Do not bring bottles, glass containers, unprocessed food, alcoholic beverages, or pets. 

• Arrive at the competition venues ahead of time to avoid overcrowding at the entrances. 

• Everyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.  

• If you are going with a person with an impairment or that has mobility issues, locate the special entrance areas or ask Lima 2019 volunteers for help; they will be duly identified at all the competition venues. 

During competitions: 

• Do not throw objects at the competition road. 

• Do not throw water at the athletes in the case of road sports. 

• Do not interfere with the course in the case of outdoor sports, such as road cycling.  

• When judges ask for silence, keep quiet. Remember that there are sports such as wheelchair tennis that require extreme concentration for their execution. 

Individual Road Race 

The individual road race event will be held on Sunday, September 1. The competition starts at 08:00. Riders will start the course at the Costa Verde venue in Magdalena and, from there, they will go to Pampilla beach in Miraflores, where they will make a U-turn and return to the Costa Verde venue. 

The Costa Verde beach circuit will be closed to vehicles from Saturday, August 31 at 22:00, until September 1 at 22:00, from Av. Universitaria to Av. Huaylas, until the last entrance ramp to Malecón Balta, and all its accesses.

The Hermanos Yaipén will perform their joyful cumbia songs in the closing ceremony of the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games on September 1st at 19:00 at the Athletics stadium in Videna, as explained the creative director and responsible of the event, Juan Carlos Fisher.

“This will be a great concert where we celebrate the human spirit, inspiration, determination, equality courage, resilience and the great effort from Para athletes” said the recognized theater director responsible for the closing ceremony, as the first Peruvian to direct one of the Lima 2019 Games ceremonies.

Carlos Neuhaus, President of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee, thanked the artists who will perform in the event and the Para athletes, the special guests of this celebration.

“They are the best example of the accomplishments. They are heroes not only because they overcame challenges, but also because they represented their countries and invested their time in what they could achieve” he mentioned.

He also invited all mayors to set large screens at central squares and shopping centers so everybody can watch the Closing Ceremony.  He also said 53 Parapan American and 5 world records were broken in this edition of the Parapan American Games.

Walter Yaipén thanked the invitation to the ceremony and invited the public the public to dance to their songs.

“I am amazed by the great talent Peruvian people have, including the Para athletes. I am humbled and thankful for them since they show the world they are as good as the cumbia” said Walter Yaipen.

The singer Eva Ayllón will have a moving performance. She will sing a special song when the Lima 2019 Parapan American flame extinguishes. The reggae band, Laguna Pai and We The Lion will also perform in this final event.

The Closing Ceremony will be on Sunday, September 1 at 19:00 at the Athletics Stadium in Videna.

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Two of the most acclaimed Peruvian pianists in the last times, Juan José Chuquisengo and José Luis Madueño will give a free show, included in the cultural program of the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games. The duo got together for the first time 20 years ago, in a coincidental meeting, where they joined their respective music fields.

After their acclaimed “Concert on two pianos” presented on May 2 at the Gran Teatro Nacional, the Peruvian pianists make success after success in their combined shows in Peru and abroad. Now, spectators will be able to enjoy this spectacular presentation for free, where the musicians will perform pieces from the music’s greatest, such as Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, as well as Latin American composers.

After a record attendance of over 300,000 spectators during the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, the cultural program Culturaymi reopened its doors for the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games on August 24 at the Parque de la Exposición, with a great artistic and cultural offer, which includes famous music and arts celebrities.

The Parapan American Games edition of Culturaymi, also offers room for talented people to show their creativity. Shows will take place at Fun Fest and Milco zones. In addition, there will be activities at the Culturaymi auditorium, the Lima 2019 stage, the Pileta China, and the MALI and MET museums. These stages are all interconnected with the Parque de la Exposición, specially conditioned with braille signage and made fully accessible for people with an impairment.

Juan José Chuquisengo and José Luis Madueño will perform for free at the Fun Fest stage on Thursday, August 29 at 18:30. The show is free!

The Lima 2019 Parapan American Games have set yet another milestone which makes them the most important Games in history. This has been achieved through a Paralympic-class service provided free of charge in the Parapan American Village (Villa El Salvador), as well as at the VIDENA and the Lawn Tennis Club, consisting of free wheelchair, prosthesis and other equipment repair and maintenance services for all Para athletes and delegations participating in the continental event.

This allows Para athletes to compete in the best possible conditions and do their very best during the competitions. Lima 2019 General Director, Alberto Valenzuela, stated that providing this service has helped Para athletes to break records.

“German company Ottobock, a Lima 2019 partner, provides repair and maintenance services for prostheses and wheelchairs to each of the Para Athletes. (...) all Para athletes of the continent that require assistance with their equipment or prostheses are serviced here free of charge,” he highlighted.

Meanwhile, Ottobock Regional President for Latin America, Marcelo Cuscuna, reported that more than 650 services have been provided to Para athletes during the Parapan American Games so far. “We hope to deliver a total of 800 services,” he added.

“We are providing Olympic-class service. The service provided to Lima 2019 is the same we provided to the Rio 2016 and London 2012 Olympic Games, and it is the same we will provide to Tokyo 2020 next year,” he stressed.

COMPLETE SATISFACTION

The Para athletes that have visited the repair shop have praised the swift service provided and the good condition of the wheelchair, prostheses and equipment serviced in view of forthcoming competitions.

This same satisfaction and pride were expressed by Prime minister Salvador del Solar, who visited the Parapan American Village to share his appreciation and encouragement with the Peruvian delegation participating in the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games.

“We can see how wheelchair and prosthesis maintenance is done. This has only been seen at the Paralympic Games and Peru is providing this at the Parapan American Games. (...) We can proudly say that we are organizing the best Parapan American Games ever, as was the case with the unforgettable Pan American Games,” he concluded.

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Peruvian Prime Minister Salvador del Solar Labarthe shared a pleasant and healthy breakfast at the Parapan American Village, located in Villa El Salvador, with members of the Peruvian delegation competing at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games. He thanked the athletes for being inspiring role models who did their best to represent Peru. 

Likewise, the Prime Minister encouraged the Peruvian Para athletes who will participate in several competitions taking place in the final days of the most important Para sports event in the Americas. 

“I couldn't miss the opportunity to visit the Parapan American Village, feel the experience of the Parapan American Games more closely and congratulate the Peruvian athletes,” said Del Solar Labarthe after praising the work done by the Lima 2019 team, led by the President of the Organizing Committee, Carlos Neuhaus.  

As he did yesterday at Parque de la Exposición, the Prime Minister added that the Games’ purpose is to make young people reflect on their dreams through the example of the Peruvian Para athletes. Salvador del Solar confessed that, thanks to the effort made at the Pan American Games, the news is more positive now.  

“Once we imagine [our dreams], we can work on achieving them. Once we achieve them, as in these Games, we can celebrate them,” he emphasized. He added that Peruvian Para athletes have won the most important medals and have had their efforts acknowledged because they are able to inspire and raise awareness.  

“[They have] the ability to make us realize that, despite any difficulties, we can pursue a big dream. At the same time, they prevent us from limiting our scope to just talking about people with impairments and inclusion. Even though inclusion is necessary, when we see our Para athletes, we go from inclusion to admiration, which is a more powerful concept,” he stated.   

All the venues of Lima 2019—including the Parapan American Village, which has 336 apartments (of the total 1096) accessible for persons with an impairment—are totally accessible and will be left as a legacy for the community. Part of the accessibility consists of tactile tiles in pedestrian areas and bicycle lanes, to ease the transit of Para athletes with visual impairment. 

Likewise, the buildings also have Braille signage, elevator buttons, spacious inner corridors and 28 elevators to facilitate the transit of people with motor impairment, who need a wheelchair to move around. 

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Rosbil “The Wonder” Guillén never imagined being recognized in such short time. He has been roughly for a year in Para athletics and he has already won a gold medal at the Parapan American Games, the greatest competition in the Americas.

But it is not the only thing the Para athlete born in Huaytará, Huancavelica, has achieved. Thanks to his victory in Lima 2019, he will have the chance to compete against the best in the world at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and at the Dubai 2019 World Para Athletics Championships. Something he never imagined when the year began, and he decided to fully dedicate himself to high level competition.

The name “Rosbil Guillén is new in Para sports. He could not have guessed, two years ago, that he would be on the spotlight. He never though getting such important awards so fast, because he has just started training seriously since January last year, when he decided to travel to Huancayo and work along with Sunil Herrera, who was training Efraín Sotacuro. Rosbil Guillén had his revenge and won the first gold medal for Peru.

In few months they noticed his aptitude and earn his right to participate in the Parapan American Games where he surprised everyone after winning the 1500 m T11 competition (Para athletes running with visual impairment and with guides) in Lima 2019. He won the first gold medal for Peru, and that brought the best of news for the runner from Huancavelica, who also lived in Ica.

Thanks to the times he made in the competition, The National Paralympic Association of Peru, chaired by Lucha Villar, informed him that his next challenges would be the Dubai World Para Athletics Championships, to be held next November and that he will be competing in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, the most important sport event of the world. “Thank God they told us we will be participating in the Dubai World Championships and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. I’m going to compete in the 1500 m and 500 m, with my guide Rio Ferdinand Cerceda, but this time, we will hold each other until the end,” said the Peruvian Para athlete.

Rosbil Guillén is very happy for winning gold so soon. “I’m very happy, and I was even more when they told me I won gold in the 1500 m. I was waiting for this a year ago. I dreamed about winning a medal and it happen. We work really hard to recover the medal we lost in the 5000 m, even I don’t think of this as a revenge. Entering Para sports was a tough call, I didn’t imagine myself doing this, two years ago. It wasn’t my goal, but I began to make better times and getting a good level,” said the Para athlete.

“All these victories are thanks to my guides (he runs with Carlos Gálvez and Rio Ferdinand Cerceda, with whom he won the 5000 m and 1500 m events.) I like Para athletics and that’s why I decided to train (he also played football-5-a-side.) I’m really proud to represent my country and I’m really happy for winning a medal. I’m thankful to God and I’m happy for being recognized by my countrymen. Thanks to all who supported me. Thanks to Gladys Tejeda, Efraín Sotacuro, Luis Sandoval for their advice, they had always encouraged me to be where I am now,” said Rosbil Guillén.

Thanks to Rosbil Guillén, Peru won a gold medal again at Parapan American Games. Twelve years ago. Jimmy Eulert had won three gold medals in 50 m freestyle, 100 m freestyle and 50 m backstroke Para swimming events in Rio 2007.

Guillén's gold adds up to the medals won by Carlos Felipa (silver), Carlos Sandoval (silver), Efraín Sotacuro (bronze) in Para athletics. Jorge Arcela (silver) in shooting Para sport, Rodrigo Santillán (bronze in Para swimming) and Fred Villalobos (bronze in judo.)

TICKETS ON SALE

To see the brilliant Para athletes of the Americas in action at the Parapan American Games, buy your tickets starting at PEN 10. There will be a 50 % discount for minors, senior citizens and people with an impairment. Tickets can be bought at tickets booth at VIDENA (gates 1 and 10) and at the 11 points of sale in Lima.

Tickets can also be purchased online at lima2019.pe/tickets, where you will also find the sports calendar with detailed competition schedules. 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.

They say the first match is always the toughest. Pedro Pablo de Vinatea, is one of the favorites in this competition and that makes him confident. His debut had a positive result at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games, when he defeated Brazilian Rosso by 2 to 0 (21 to 15 and 21 to 8).

“It is important to start with a victory. It was an easy match at the end, but some moments where hard and I had to push myself. But playing like this, in a full coliseum and in my home, is a new feeling. I’m satisfied with being able to control that pressure,” said Pedro Pablo.

The Lima 2019 ambassador knows that the path is difficult, but as he says, “we’re just starting, and we have to go one step at a time.”

After the match, that lasted 34 minutes, Pedro Pablo was congratulated by the Premier Salvador del Solar and by the Mayor of Lima Jorge Muñoz. They also talked about the importance of inclusion and the value that Lima 2019 has given to this vital subject for the city.

“The impact the Parapan American Games are having in the city is extraordinary,” said the Premier.

After taking photos, Pedro Pablo said that “I had an excellent conversation with them. It’s always an honor that they come see you play, because I admire them a lot and I liked what they said.”

The Para badminton competition will end on Sunday, September 1. If you want to keep watching more competitions and supporting Para athletes, you can buy your tickets at the official website www.lima2019.pe and at authorized points of sale.

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The match finished in a short time and although Pilar looked nervous, she smiled at the end of the match. She played against her friend, the US Para athlete Amy Burnett.

At the Sports Center 3 , the gaze of the fans was focused on two of the three courts where the matches took place. Pilar and Pedro Pablo de Vinatea were playing at the same time.

Pilar’s victory was overwhelming with a score of 21 to 4 and 21 to 0. She finished the match faster than Pedro Pablo, and as she said: “I was nervous at the beginning, but when you focus on playing you forget everything. In addition, the coliseum was full of people, I had never imagined such attendance, she stated.

According to Pilar, it was a special match because she did not only face a rival, it was her friend. “I’m a little sad for her, but I’m the host and I have to honor my country. She’s a great friend, she is just beginning and she has made great progress, the difference is noticeable,” she added. Mayor Jorge Muñoz completes para badminton champion’s challenge.  

After the game, Pilar received greetings from the mayor of Lima, Jorge Muñoz, whom she had challenged weeks ago. “He congratulated me and told me to do well and to keep making progress,” she said.

The Lima 2019 Ambassador will continue competing tomorrow to look for a place in the semifinals. “I’ll do my best and now we’ll give it our all,” she concluded.

The Para badminton competition will be held on Sunday, September 1. If you want to enjoy seeing more competitions and cheer on Para athletes, you can purchase your tickets through the official website www.lima2019.pe and in authorized points of sale.

In order to guarantee access to Para athletes and people with an impairment, all sports venues where the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games take place are fully accessible, as they have large corridors, elevators for wheelchairs, including Braille system, tactile walking surfaces, among other advantages.

Edgard Perdomo, Mexican wheelchair basketball Para athlete, said he was very impressed by all the infrastructure built for the Lima 2019 Games and the accessibility that allows a person with some type of impairment to move safely.

He pointed out that this type of sports events allows to showcase the abilities of a person with an impairment and to prove that they are like any person capable of carrying out different activities successfully. VIDENA with full accessibility for people with impairments. 

Alberto Bailón, Mexican wheelchair basketball Para athlete, emphasized that during his travels he has confirmed the great accessibility at the various sports venues, especially with inclined ramps, bathrooms, dressing rooms, gymnasiums, as well as adapted dining rooms and attentive staff, who are always ready to help.

He also said that he has participated in international competitions in other Latin American countries and had never seen such a complete Parapan American Village with so many accessible facilities. He even considered that Peru’s basketball court is not so different from courts of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States.”

“Far from being an expense, it’s an investment that unites us and improves the level of a country,” said the Mexican Para athlete very satisfied.

ACCESSIBLE SPORTS VENUES

Pedro Indacochea, accessibility specialist for Lima 2019, said that the National Sports Village (VIDENA) has fully equipped spaces for people with impairments in accordance with international standards of best practices.

He also said that this refurbishment work is part of the legacy that Lima 2019 provides, based on three fundamental pillars: accessibility, Para sports promotion and awareness to familiarize the community in general about impairment.

Indacochea stated that the cost invested for implementation is not so high if you think of the overall benefit for all people in general, not only with impairments, but also senior citizens, children, pregnant women, etc.

“It is not just about doors, ramps, bathrooms, tactile walking surfaces or dressing rooms, but the treatment of people with impairments,” stressed the specialist, concluding that everything implemented is accessible, both for people with impairments and for the community.

On the eighth day of competition at Lima 2019, the Peruvian football 5-a-side team will seek to defeat Brazil in the first round of this exciting Para sport that has captivated all fans.

Everyone is invited to the Villa Maria del Triunfo Sports Center at 17:30 to cheer on the national team. In this venue will also compete the Mexican, Costa Rican, Argentinian and Colombian teams starting at 15:00.

In football 7-a-side, Peru will also open the competition day with a remarkable match against the United States at 09:30 at the Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center. The delegations of Colombia, Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela will also compete on this date.

The women’s national goalball team will also go for victory against Costa Rica at 16:15 at the Miguel Grau Coliseum in Callao. Also, the teams from Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil and the United States will face off starting at 12:30.

On the other hand, at the National Sports Village, starting at 11:00, the most outstanding Para weightlifters from the Americas will aspire to immortalize their names with the gold medal in the challenging Para powerlifting events of -49 kg, -41 kg, -45 kg, -50 kg, -55 kg, and -54 kg, in the men's and women's categories. Peruvian Diego Quispe will be one of the main figures in the -54 kg competition.

Also, at the VIDENA Aquatic Center, two Para swimming sessions will begin at 09:00 and 17:00, respectively. The winners of the gold, bronze and silver medals will be defined in the strenuous 200m individual medley, 400m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 100m backstroke events, among others.

Also, in wheelchair tennis, the most outstanding Para tennis players of the Americas, including the world’s number one Gustavo Fernandez from Argentina, will compete for the gold medal in the quad singles and doubles, men's and women's modality, at the Lawn Tennis Club at 11:00.

Last but not least, the more outstanding Para athletes in the Americas will seek to pass to the next stage in the wheelchair basketball competition. Boccia and Para badminton events will also be held on this date at the Villa El Salvador Sports Center and VIDENA Sports Center 3, respectively, venues that were specifically built for Lima 2019. For more information about the dates and venues, please visit https://www.lima2019.pe/resultados.