The night ended at Lawn Tennis with a new medal for Peru, when the doubles team formed by Anastacia Iamachkine and a tireless Sergio Galdós —he had won bronze in men’s doubles one and a half hour before— defeated the athletes the team from Guatemala by 2 sets to 0. 

The Peruvian national team took one hour and seven minutes to add a new bronze award for their country in the official medal table at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. 

Peruvians supremacy was evident since the start of the match as they showed a better mutual understanding against the team from Guatemala, formed by Andrea Weedon and Wilfredo González. 

The stands were colored in white and red to support the Peruvian team and cheered for them during the whole match. They made waves and their chanting inspired the Peruvian team.  

The first set ended 7-5 in 38 minutes and the second set ended 6-1 and lasted less than half and hour. Iamachkine and Galdós cross-court shots set the pace of this competition from the very and start and until the end.  

With this result, Peru collects 16 medals at the end of the first week of competitions and still wants to win more in the next days.

One more medal. At the darkest moment of the tennis match, the lights came on and the audience in the grandstands cheered on the Peruvian team composed of Sergio Galdón and Juan Pablo Varillas. It encouraged them to turn the game around and beat Bolivia to reach the bronze medal at these Pan American Games.

The match started well for the Peruvian team, who was ahead 4-1. Then, all serves, volleys and spikes made the team finish the first set with 6-3. In spite of the intense cold, this result thrilled the audience.

In the second set, Boris Arias and Federico Zevallos from Bolivia changed their strategy and beat the Peruvian team 6-3 in 38 minutes.

This score led them to the tie-break to get the bronze. At the start of this final stage, the Bolivian duo was winning most of the set. However, Galdós and Varillas regained control and reached the final score of 12-10, which gave us one more medal at the Lima 2019 Games. 

After assessing the first week of the Games, the Panam Sports Secretary General, Ivar Sisniega, assured that “they are very satisfied with the development of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.” 

“We are truly happy. The first week of the Games was great,” stated Sisniega after mentioning that millions of people could watch the Pan American Games opening ceremony and that the Organizing Committee received positive comments on the excellent broadcast from different countries. 

He also said that the Pan American Games and the Olympic Games seek to have a positive influence and impact on millions of people to inspire athletes in the Americas. “Panam Sports is satisfied due to the good quality of the broadcast,” he mentioned during a press conference, joined by the Lima 2019 Games Operations Manager, Alberto Valenzuela. 

Additionally, he congratulated the Lima 2019 Pan American Games Organizing Committee for quickly reacting to unforeseen events. “This ability speaks well of the Organizing Committee,” he said. 

Moreover, he stated that volunteers of this sports event are the best he had ever seen. For him, they help and treat people nicely by welcoming them joyfully and smiling. 

He also highlighted the warmth of Peruvians who made the athletes from different countries participating in these Games feel like they were at home. 

Sports Venues  

Sisniega also confirmed that sports venues were ready on time, as well as the Pan American Village, where athletes live and rest. “It works wonderfully,” he stressed. 

He admitted that the main concern was transportation, as it is difficult to travel around Lima. Despite this, everything is working quite well. Furthermore, he expressed his gratitude for the comprehension of citizens because it allows athletes to arrive quickly at the venues. 

“Everybody is working to ensure everything goes at good pace with a positive attitude, so that Peruvians feel proud of leaving a good impression after the Games,” he pointed out. 

The representative of Panam Sports asked Peruvians to take advantage of the top-level infrastructure, use budget to maintain sports facilities, and hire qualified coaches. 

He stressed the importance of keeping these venues in good conditions, making proper use of them and encouraging hundreds of Peruvians to practice any sport at them, so that Lima 2019 marks a before and after. 

Tickets 

He mentioned that 80% of tickets have been already sold for the Lima 2019 Pan American Games competitions taking place at different venues. For this reason, he highlighted the continuously good public response.

Almost immediately after obtaining the bronze medal for Peru, the country's 13th medal at Lima 2019, the young Peruvian surfer Itzel Delgado highlighted the legacy that the High Performance Center at Punta Rocas Beach leaves for Peruvian surfing.

During a press conference offered to provide details on the progress of the Pan American Games, the outstanding Peruvian athlete thanked Panam Sports for promoting lesser-known sports “in front of a worldwide audience”.

"I am very grateful for the legacy left by Lima 2019 with this high-performance center, a world-class facility, which will help the development of surfing, so that Peru wins more medals in the Pan American Games, the Olympics and world championships," he said.

“GOOSEBUMPS”

Although he claimed the gold medal in this discipline, American surfer Connor Baxter confessed feeling “goosebumps” in his first Pan American Games surfing competition.

“Being with a lot of athletes and spectators, I got goosebumps. It was an awesome experience. Thank you for the hard work done behind the scenes. We arrived (in Lima) and focused on winning any medal,” he said humbly.

It is worth mentioning that stand-up paddle surfing consists of an open ocean race where the athlete, standing on a board and supported by one paddle, completes a round-trip circuit.

The competition starts in the sand, up to the buoys placed in the sea, and ends when the competitor crosses the finish line with the paddle in hand.

He had all the pressure on him. He needed to hit four targets to win a medal, but nothing stopped Nicolás Pacheco. The Peruvian shooter was encouraged by thousands at Las Palmas Air Base, as he passed the shoot-out stage and climbed to the third step of the podium in the skeet event. 

After the elimination stage, Pacheco gave a good performance that allowed him to get into the top three of the competition. Although he achieved 42 shoots like the Guatemalan Juan Shaeffer (silver medal), Pacheco was penalized by the judges in the tiebreaker since he had finished sixth in the overall qualification ranking. Christian Elliott from USA landed the gold medal. 

Even though Pacheco did not finish among the first two to obtain the direct qualification to Tokyo 2020, he reached the quota place because the United States already had one in advance. Nicolás joins his teammate, Marko Carrillo, who already qualified for the Olympic Games next year; the marathon runner Christian Pacheco; the race walkers Mary Luz Andia and Kimberly García; the shooter Alessandro de Souza; the cyclist Royner Navarro; and the sailor Stefano Peschiera.  

  With this, Peru has obtained 15 medals so far at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.

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He has been competing at the highest level of sailing since he was 18, and every season entails a bigger challenge for his sporting career. For Stefano Peschiera, this year's challenge is to win the gold medal at the Pan American Games and, of course, to experience the magic of singing Peru’s national anthem at the top of the podium.

Peschiera is willing to make this dream come true, inspired by the courage of his grandfather, who encouraged him to take up sailing and will follow his journey from heaven. The Peruvian flag bearer has already qualified for Tokyo 2020; however, he follows a strict and exhausting training routine. Today, he started the 10-race sequence in Paracas, to end on August 9 with the final. He talked about his goals with Lima 2019.

How do you manage to remain at the best competitive level?

To achieve the best performance, you have to go for more. I’m like an addict when it comes to setting myself new, more challenging goals, and train hard to achieve them. The discipline and sacrifice required are huge. That’s why I don’t usually compete in Peru because I keep pushing myself in world circuit championships.

What does it take to win a medal in Lima 2019?

There are many uncontrollable natural variables such as the wind, clouds, the sea current, waves, and storms. The strategy consists of gathering data to predict wind changes or the direction of ocean currents to be faster at competitions. The rest depends on the sailor’s skills, their talent to adapt to sudden wind changes, and their preparation to endure the physical demand.

What conditions do you expect in Paracas?

Paracas is easier to read, though actually it’s quite windy, which makes it a horse race. We all start and whoever gets on first takes the lead. But you have also to make sure nobody passes you. All this while sailing as your heart beats 187 times per minute. It’s like playing chess, but running.

What made you change your mind about wanting to leave it all after Rio 2016?

It was tough because I went to my first Olympic Games with high expectations, knowing I had the potential even though my training was different since I was still at university. If you aren’t at the same level as the other competitors, it shows. Besides, not reaching the goal, after so much pressure and pushing myself so hard, led me to that hasty decision.

Who helped you think it over?

I didn’t sail for six months after Rio 2016, and I took the time to finish university. Then my family persuaded me to go back since sailing flows through my veins. My grandfather used to take me sailing to Ancon when I was a child. That was useful because I had a great first competition, without that much pressure, and that motivated me to get ready for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. I can deal with that now, but it shocked me when I started and that affected the result of my competitions.

You grandfather must be really proud of you from where he is now.

I feel him watching over me from heaven. He passed away in 2008, just before the Optimist South American Championship in Paracas. I had to go back to Lima to say goodbye. I went back to the competition sad but really driven to win the teams tournament. I really appreciate what my grandfather did for me. I have a picture of him and my grandmother in my life jacket every time I compete. In every race, when I am about to give up, I imagine they are cheering on me, telling me not to give up. I feel connected with them.

How unique is it to participate in the Pan American Games in Peru?

I participated in Toronto 2015 and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, but I have never taken part in any similar competitions in Peru. In fact, I don't remember much about the Olympic Games but now in Lima, it'll be impossible to explain the experience. I'm constantly preparing to compete, but in the last year I've only focused on going for gold in Paracas.

SAILING AT LIMA 2019

In addition to Stefano Peschiera, Peru will be represented at the 2019 Lima Pan American Games by Alessio Botteri, Matías Panizzo, Renzo Sanguineti, Francesco Puliatti, María Belén Bazo, Paloma Schmidt, Diana Tudela, María Pía van Oordt and Jean Paul de Trazegnies.

The sailing competition will take place at the Yacht Club Peruano in Paracas, from August 3 to 11. Nine events will take place, including three men's competitions (Laser standard, 49er and RS:X), three women's (Laser radial, RS:X and 49er FX), two open (Sunfish and Formula Kite) and three mixed (Snipe, Nacra 17 and Lightning).

The races will take place around a course marked by colored buoys placed by the race committee. The orientation of the course will be set up so that the first leg of the race will be to windward (except Formula Kite, which will have a reach start), with the starting line at right angles to the wind.

Paracas Bay is considered the best location for sailing races due to the wind that blows over the seaside during certain hours of the afternoon, which enables boats to reach high speeds. The competition zone comprises an aquatic space of a minimum length of 35,000 square meters, not affected by currents.

The Pan American Games, currently taking place in Lima, will leave a new generation of athletes and a great legacy in Olympic-level infrastructure in Peru, according to Alberto Valenzuela, Lima 2019 Operations Manager.

He shared his pride in how the first step has been taken so that sport in Peru results in an accelerated, solid and forward-looking development for the next generation.

“These boys who are joining us, the Peruvians and foreigners who are competing, leave us not only a legacy of better young people, a better generation and a better example, but also the effort involved in the construction of sports facilities never seen in our country,” he said in a press conference, joined by General Secretary of Panam Sports Ivar Sisniega and athletes Itzel Delgado (Peru - Surf), Ariana Orrego (Peru - Gymnastics), Connor Baxter (USA - Surf), Grant Rheeza (Trinidad and Tobago - Volleyball) and Lena Guimaraes (Brazil - Surf).

He mentioned that this infrastructure was built and delivered on time with the Olympic-class service which athletes deserve. “These Games are the most important sports event in our continent and in our history.”

Afterwards, he highlighted that more than 580,000 tickets for the Pan American Games have been sold so far, reaching up to 40,000 tickets sold per day.

“In addition, over 400 million viewers worldwide were present at the Opening Ceremony through the TV cameras; the stadium was full, with 50,000 spectators; and 7 out of every 10 citizens saw the opening event,” he added.

He thanked Peruvian and foreign journalists for covering the Pan American Games and informing the entire world about the details of this sporting event.

Security, Residents and Press

Furthermore, Valenzuela informed there are 20,000 agents of the Peruvian National Police responsible for providing security in the development of the Pan American Games.

Moreover, he thanked all the citizens for understanding all the measures set out for transportation, such as the Pan American lane and the latest measure by the Municipality of Lima: “pico y placa” (“rush hour and license plate”).

Transportation

The Lima 2019 operations manager also mentioned that transportation in Lima is a challenge, because arranging 4000 trips with 1200 vehicles to transport athletes and accredited press every day is complex.

“We're sorry for the inconvenience, but some adjustments have been made in recent days and in this second stage, after the experience we've had, we will be better,” he assured.

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Aiming for a new gold medal at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, the race walking women’s delegation led by Kimberly Garcia will try to make it to the top of the podium in the 20 km event. This discipline is considered one of the hardest in athletics.    

A victory by Garcia would add up to the gold medals earned by Peruvian athletes Gladys Tejeda and Christian Pacheco in the marathon event held last Saturday, July 27, where two new Pan American records were set. Such an outcome would place Peru at the top of this sport in the Americas, leaving a remarkable record in the history of the most important multi-sports event in the Americas. 

It should be noted that the Peruvian race-walker won the gold medal in the Pan American Race Walking Cup held in Mexico last April. In this international competition, she surpassed the record of 1 hour and 31 minutes, securing qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. 

Apart from García, the Peruvian women's team will also include Mary Luz Andía, also qualified for next year's Olympic Games. José Carlos Mamani will represent Peru in the men's 20 km event.  

The race will start at Parque Kennedy, to continue along Av. José Larco as far as Calle Tarata, and will return the same direction up to Óvalo de Miraflores.

Getting a close look at the best athletes of the Americas and visiting the new sports venues are unforgettable experiences. This was stated by about 3000 children and senior citizens who already enjoyed the Pan American Games celebration. It was possible thanks to the free tickets gifted by the Organizing Committee as part of their initiative to bring Peruvians closer to sports. 

This time, children from Asociación de Hipertrofia Muscular Duchenne and Albergue Manthoc in San Luis, as well as students from state schools in Callao, enjoyed cycling and men’s volleyball competitions at VIDENA and Callao Sports Center, respectively. The children, full of excitement, said they were happy to attend competitions they would normally watch only on TV. 

“Lima 2019 is currently coordinating with different non-profit associations, municipalities and ministries to give free tickets to vulnerable children and senior citizens so that they enjoy the most important multi-sports event in the Americas. In this way, we want everybody to join this sports celebration,” said Alberto Valenzuela, Lima 2019 Operations Manager. 

Many institutions have benefited from the free tickets. Among them are Inabif, Aldeas Infantiles, Asociación “Arenas y Esteras”, Alto Colibrí, Casa Hogar “Un día de Esperanza”, “Yo soy sus ojos” Association of Athletes with Visual Impairment, the children’s shelter of Independencia’s police station and Asociación Nacional de Familiares Víctimas del Terrorismo, as well as social programs of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Municipality of Punta Hermosa, Municipality of Punta Negra and, thanks to the Ministry of Education, students from state schools. 

Mariella Moreno, Physical Education regional expert of the Ministry of Education, pointed out that the institution enthusiastically welcomed the invitation from Lima 2019 and they organized themselves to attend the competitions. She also said that it is a big chance for students to enjoy and experience sports first-hand. 

The VIDENA velodrome came alive with joy with the presence of dozens of children from different schools in San Luis and more than 100 senior citizens from the Senior Citizens Center of the Municipality of San Luis. 

“This is amazing and beautiful. We never expected to be at these modern venues. So, we thank the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee for giving us the chance to see cycling competitions in person,” mentioned Josefina Matallana, member of the Senior Citizens Center. 

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