Fifteen years after her first world title, one of the most notable Peruvian athletes of all time made history once again in surfing. Sofia Mulanovich, Lima 2019 Ambassador, won the open surfing event at the ISA World Games (International Surfing Association) that took place in Japan. It was a much-wanted comeback for fans of this sport.

Mulanovich, who won the same title at the 2004 World Cup in Ecuador, competed against the elite of the World Surf League (WSL), and managed to defeat them with excellent maneuvers that showcased her enduring skills. “Sofi” trained with dedication and, although she is not ranked in the world circuit, this is a message that, at 36, she can still achieve great things.

“This means everything to me. I'm very happy and excited. It's amazing to come here and celebrate. That's what this is all about: celebrating and loving sports. I can feel the magic. Everything I've won in my life is so emotional. All I've won is because everything fell into place. It's a dream come true,” said the Peruvian at the end of the competition.

Sofia prevailed over surfing stars such as Brazilian Silvana Lima, South African Bianca Buitendag and American Carissa Moore, who were unable to reach the Peruvian surfer's scores. Her next goal will be reaching one of the last seven quota places at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which will be awarded at the 2020 ISA World Cup, to be held between April and May next year.

“As a child, I never dreamed of competing in the Olympics, because I was a long way from that, but now it's possible. It's a dream come true for everyone to represent your country at the biggest event in the world. I hope I get to go next year and carry the flag,” commented Sofia on the possibility of qualifying.

The Lima 2019 Ambassador participated in the official broadcast of the Games as a commentator. In addition, she visited the High Performance Surfing Center built at Punta Rocas Beach on several occasions. Her comeback to the world's biggest competitions is great news for all sports lovers.

The successful development of the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games is an invaluable source of inspiration for future Peruvian generations. In that regard, there is no doubt Lima 2019 will leave a socio-educational legacy that will become the stepping stone to a better country.

For this reason, the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee President, Carlos Neuhaus, was invited to the opening ceremony of the Villa Caritas and San Pedro Schools cultural week. He delivered a master lecture on the achievements that have placed Lima 2019 as the best Games in the history of the Americas.

The COPAL president stated, amid the cheers of all the students, his gratitude for the warm welcome, leaving a message of unity and leadership.

“We can achieve great things when we work toward a common goal. Hosting the Pan American and Parapan American Games is evidence that we can achieve what we want as a country,” he excitedly said before all the audience.

In turn, Edith Garcia, Vice-principal of both schools, congratulated Neuhaus on their behalf for the success of the Games while recalling their famous motto.

“We’re so proud as a nation to have been Games hosts. We’ve seen the dreams of so many athletes come true. And this was all possible thanks to the team led by Mr. Neuhaus, who did everything to make this possible and as the Games’ motto goes, let’s all play,” she said emphatically. 

Afterwards, a constructive brainstorming session between Neuhaus and the students took place, where he emphasized one of the aspects that ensured the great management of Lima 2019.

“It was critical to build a work team full of determination, courage and commitment to give the best impression of Peru, bringing out the best in themselves to achieve this goal”, he commented.

At the end, Neuhaus received an honorary distinction and a handcrafted present from the Head Prefects of both private schools.

The successful organization of the Pan American and Parapan American Games in Peru will leave a series of benefits for the country in many aspects. One of them is the economic legacy, whose impact will amount to PEN 5200 million, according to Carlos Neuhaus, President of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee. Neuhaus gave a presentation before the Education, Youth and Sports Commission of the Peruvian Congress.

Neuhaus attended the meeting of the Congress working group in order to deliver the balance of the successful organization of Lima 2019, recognized as the best Games in the history of the Americas by international organizations such as Panam Sports and the International Paralympic Committee.

The President of COPAL highlighted, among the benefits of hosting the Lima 2019 Games in Peru, the economic impact of PEN 5200 million. Out of this amount, 1800 million soles will be generated in 2019. Neuhaus also stated that Lima 2019 created 500,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs.

Neuhaus added that Lima 2019 broke all the attendance records in the history of the Pan American and Parapan American Games. There were 587,000 people at the competitions and ceremonies of the Pan American Games. The Parapan American Games had over 170,000 attendees.

Among other Games figures, Neuhaus stressed that there were 1109 hours of TV broadcast, through 40 networks at the Pan American Games and 15 at the Parapan American Games. “Only in Peru and Brazil, an audience of 140 million viewers has been estimated. Overall, 400 million people watched the ceremonies and competitions in many countries around the world,” he said.

Regarding the media impact, the President of the Organizing Committee assured that 80,000 news articles about the Games were published worldwide, with a value that reached USD 1086 million. USD 933 million from the total is for the Pan American Games and USD 153 million for the Parapan American Games.

Neuhaus pointed out that the organization and execution budget, which amounted to PEN 4200 million, was lower than the amount originally set. “To achieve this, we optimized resources. We reduced the number of towers in the Pan American and Parapan American Village from 39 to 7, and one Sports Center, to keep within the budget. In the end, the amount of money invested was smaller,” he said.

In the presentation, it was mentioned that 36,460 trips were made during the Games to transport athletes, technical officials and judges. “Everybody respected the Pan American Lane. Therefore, we must congratulate the people of Lima. No athlete was late for a competition,” said Neuhaus.

REASONS FOR SUCCESS

Carlos Neuhaus also spoke of the reasons for the success of the Lima 2019 Games, and stated that it was based on “teamwork, the people's commitment to support the organization and the participation at all levels, reflecting the “Let’s All Play” slogan.

He also acknowledged the support of the Peruvian Armed Forces and the National Police since the lighting of the Torch. He also highlighted the Concurrent Control system developed by the Comptroller General of the Republic, “identifying the signs of risk and acting to continue promoting the infrastructure works.”

The president of COPAL also mentioned the Games legacy, and said that the organization is working on sustainable plans for the sports infrastructure built and remodeled for Lima 2019.

Likewise, the Government-to-government Agreement with the United Kingdom was highlighted. The legacy of this agreement will be the new public management models such as the NEC Contract or the PMO, which accelerate construction processes.

The President of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee (COPAL), Carlos Neuhaus, stated that the Pan American and Parapan American Games constitute an investment paradigm which should be replicated by the Government in order to undertake successful public projects and raise Peru’s profile in the context of sustainable economic development.

“With an economic impact amounting to 5200 million soles, Lima 2019 is a model for project execution based on transparency and clear goals. It will help us continue moving toward development,” Neuhaus highlighted during the opening of the Peru CEO Impact Summit.

The COPAL president also stressed that the key to Lima 2019 being regarded as the best Pan American and Parapan American Games in history lies in the co-operation between the Government and civil society.

“The Games were a unique time in the history of the country. We set out to make them a reality and we achieved a feat, with the participation of various public entities such as local governments, the Armed Forces and ministries, as well as the unconditional support of our citizens. This was evidenced in a survey by Ipsos Apoyo, which revealed that 94% of the population approved of them,” he stated, excitedly.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Salvador del Solar announced the recent Government decision to approve the incorporation of the BIM (Building Information Modeling) methodology to the National Competitiveness Plan. This methodology was used by Lima 2019 to great success.

“The National Competitiveness Plan was designed to turn this country into the place we want to leave to our children. It must focus on solving the problems caused by the infrastructure gap. And Lima 2019 serves as a model of public investment for a wide array of infrastructure works such as schools, hospitals and others,” the Prime Minister concluded.

Finally, the summit participants warmly thanked Mr. Neuhaus for achieving the goals set, and stated unanimously that Lima 2019 is a model of transparent and efficient public management which has made it possible to rebuild institutionality and trust in government entities.

“I congratulate you and your team on the excellent Games organization. This is why I believe that it’s crucial to transfer the experience and knowledge gained by the officials who worked for Lima 2019 to various local and national government organizations, for the execution of forthcoming investment projects,” highlighted Michel Canta, Vice Minister of Economy and Finance.

The Lima 2019 Games proved that Peruvians are capable of overcoming new challenges. We were capable of organizing the best Pan American and Parapan American Games in the history of the continent, implementing a new model of public management, renowned everywhere, which could be replicated in different government entities.

Therefore, the president of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee, Carlos Neuhaus, was invited by Universidad Continental to participate in the panel discussion “The public management success of the Lima 2019 Games,” where he gave a presentation about the main achievements that led to the great organization of the largest multidisciplinary event of the continent, recognized by Panam Sports and the Americas Paralympic Committee.

“The Lima 2019 Games were executed because they were a State commitment, which I was able to join in September 2016, as an important challenge in my life. These Games were successful because we had close to 600 thousand spectators at the Pan American Games and over 170 thousand at the Parapan American Games, surpassing previous attendance records,” said Neuhaus.

REASONS FOR THE SUCCESS OF LIMA 2019

“We worked under the Government-to-Government Agreement with the United Kingdom, which provided us with technical assistance, as they had experience organizing this type of event. This allowed us to optimize resources, such as reducing the towers in the Pan American and Parapan American Village. As part of the agreement, new management models were implemented, such as NEC, which was developed by engineers to avoid delays in the execution of infrastructure projects.”

“We worked alongside the Comptroller General’s Office of the Republic, that carried out the pertinent controls, working from within the organization of Lima 2019, and all their observations were solved immediately.”

“We planned all projects, developed progress reports, as well as change management and cost management. We organized one of the few Games below the allocated budget, optimizing resources. We carried out 12 remodeling projects and built certified stages in VIDENA, Callao, Villa María del Triunfo and Villa El Salvador.”

“In terms of logistics, we served 700 thousand meal portions at the Pan American and Parapan American Games. We made 4000 trips during the Pan American Games and 2000 trips during the Parapan American Games. Not a single athlete was late for a competition thanks to the Pan American lane, which is already being removed. Medical services were available all day and we collected more samples for doping control than in Toronto. Security was fully in control and no inconveniences occurred. As for the Torch Relay, it was really exciting, and the ceremonies were amazing.”

“The volunteers and their great attitude played a significant role in the organization. Initially, 100 thousand people signed up, but only 28,000 received training. In the end, over 11,000 volunteers participated in the Games. Of that number, 622 were foreigners.”

“We applied all the purchasing systems for the planning of the Games. Close to 200 thousand goods were bought, among others, through the MyPerú purchasing program. More than 2500 jobs were created with this system.”

|“Being in charge of the organization has been a pleasant experience. This has been the best job I’ve ever had. Because here, we all play.”

“Teamwork was essential. We brought together people from the private sector, who helped speed up the project, and people from the public sector, who had a better understanding of government processes. Building this team was critical to making this organization a success. We had professionals from Peru and abroad, as well as people linked to sports,” added Carlos Neuhaus during his presentation, which received the applause of the entire auditorium.

GUEST PARTICIPATION

The comptroller general of the Republic, Nelson Shack, and the chairman of the Board of Petroperú, Carlos Paredes Lanatta, as well as the former president of Servir, Juan Carlos Cortés, also participated in the presentation of Carlos Neuhaus They recognized the work carried out for the organization of Lima 2019.

“One of the reasons for the success of the Games has been knowing how to make decisions and solve issues, as well as the courage and leadership of Carlos Neuhaus, which was essential. The work team was committed,” said the comptroller during his participation.

“Lima 2019 was in charge of 22 construction projects and finished them on time. They had a different legal framework than other construction projects. They were able to sign contracts according to the NEC model and had qualified assistance from the United Kingdom. They came to teach professional management. Forms of work, lie in private companies, were also applied. Our work with Lima 2019 was multidisciplinary and the reports were solved immediately. This was part of the recipe to make everything work. Regarding the comptroller general’s office, nothing’s going to happen later, because we have been involved in everything,” said Shack.

“The execution of Lima 2019 is a great source of pride and a great success. We have proven that we can do it. This model can be applied to large projects, with a similar mechanism,” he added.

Meanwhile, Carlos Paredes pointed out that Lima 2019 will leave a new method for managing the public sector. “It is a legacy that proves that things can be done right. Carlos Neuhaus proved that we can do it. We are now applying the same control method in the Talara refinery and working with the PMO that was implemented in Lima 2019,” he stated.

At the end of the panel discussion, Carlos Neuhaus received the “Medalla Universitaria Continental” from the university, for his distinguished services in favor of the successful delivery of the Lima 2019 Games.

ABOUT THE LIMA 2019 GAMES

This was the first time that Peru organized the largest multidisciplinary sports event of the Americas and the most significant sports event in the world, after the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

At the Pan American Games, over 6600 athletes from across the continent participated in 39 sports and 61 disciplines, during 17 days of competition, between July 26 and August 11. A total of 21 competitions were qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

At the Parapan American Games, close to 1800 Para athletes from 30 countries participated in 17 sports and 18 disciplines. The Peruvian delegation consisted of 139 Para athletes, who competed in 16 of the 17 sports. Competitions took place at 14 venues from August 22 to September 1, 2019. The Parapan American Games granted quotas for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in 13 Para sports.

Lima 2019 awarded over 1500 medalists throughout the 11 days of the largest multi-sports event in the continent. We still get a feeling of nostalgia when we remember the best Parapan American Games in history, in which spectators witnessed the high competition level of the great stars and new talents in the Americas. 

Check the best photos of these figures here

The best Para athletes are listed below:

1.    Omara Durand (Cuba) Para athletics T12

The fastest woman of the Paralympic movement made history at Lima 2019 after winning three gold medals at the Parapan American Games for the third time in a row. The Cuban athlete earned the victory in 100, 200 and 400 m. Besides, she broke the Parapan American record in 400 and 200 m events (she even did it twice in the latter).

2.    Petrúcio Ferreira (Brazil) Para athletics T47

The Brazilian Para athlete arrived at Lima with two world records in 100 and 200 m, and he did not disappoint at all. He claimed the gold in 100 and 400 m and a silver in mixed relay, repeating his success of Toronto 2015. In the 100 m, he even surprised us all by setting two new records on the same day.

3.    Daniel Dias (Brazil) Para swimming S5

The best Para swimmer of all times took home six gold medals at Lima 2019. These new victories added up to the total of 33 golds he has obtained along his four Parapan American Games finals. So far, Dias has won 77 gold medals in his career, including 14 Paralympic medals and 30 world titles. He is, for sure, a true sport legend.

4.    Gustavo Fernández (Argentina) wheelchair tennis

The best wheelchair tennis player of the world circuit obtained his third consecutive gold medal in the Games and his second gold in doubles. This way, “Gusti” finished the year on a high note, as he arrived in Lima as the champion of three Grand Slam tournaments: the 2019 Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. What a legend!

5.    José de Jesús Castillo (Mexico) Para powerlifting

The best Para powerlifter of the Americas rose to the top at Lima 2019 after winning the gold in the -107 kg weight class, his fourth consecutive title in the Games. “Chuy” has now a secure a spot among the top Para powerlifters in this discipline.

6.    Amalia Pérez (Mexico) Para powerlifting

She snatched her fourth gold medal at the Parapan American Games in the -55 kg weight class, breaking the Parapan American record. The Mexican is also a five-time Paralympic medalist.

7.    Yanina Martínez (Argentina) Para athletics T36

She repeated her success of Toronto 2015, by winning the gold in both 100 and 200 m in Lima. Her next challenge is to defend the 100 m title she claimed at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

8.    Sara Vargas (Colombia) Para swimming S6

The new Para swimming talent of our continent earned four golds and one silver at just 12 years old in her first major event ever. Also, she broke five Parapan American records, becoming one of the best Para athletes in the Americas.

9.    Phelipe Melo (Brazil) Para swimming S10

He crowned himself as the Para athlete with the most medals at Lima 2019, with seven golds and one bronze.
 So far, he has collected 22 medals in three Parapan American Games.

10.  Nelson Crispín (Colombia) Para swimming S6

He broke his own record by taking home five golds, one silver and one bronze, surpassing the number of medals achieved in Toronto (three golds, two silvers and one bronze medal). What is more, he broke the 100 m breaststroke world record.

11.  Carlos Serrano (Colombia) Para swimming S7

At Lima 2019, he surpassed his Toronto 2015 achievements with seven medals (five golds, one silver and one bronze), thus breaking five Parapan American records.
 His next challenge is to go beyond the three Paralympic medals he obtained at Río 2016 (one, gold, one silver and one bronze).

12.  Naomí Somellera (Mexico) Para swimming S7

At age 20, she showed us all she is at the top of her game, by collecting six gold medals at Lima 2019.
 This way, she surpassed her Toronto 2015 performance, where she picked up two medals.

13.  Alberto Abarza (Chile) Para swimming S2

The Chilean flag-bearer claimed three golds and two silvers, setting the Parapan American record in four events.

14.  Wimana Stewart (Trinidad and Tobago) Para athletics F43

She snatched two gold medals, breaking the Parapan American and world record in discus throw, as well as the Parapan American record in javelin throw twice.

15.  Matías Pino (Chile) Wheelchair tennis TT6

He claimed two Parapan American titles and helped his country achieve its best performance in the Games.

16.  Clara Brown (United States) Para cycling C1-C3

She won three golds (one on track and two on road) and one bronze in track cycling, thus breaking three Parapan American records.

17.  Fabricio Barros (Brazil) Para athletics T12

To everyone’s surprise, he earned the victory in the 100 m event, defeating favorites such as Noah Malone from the USA and Leinier Savón from Cuba. Besides, he broke the 100 m Parapan American record in his category with a time of 10.97.

18.  Nicholas Bennett (Canada) Para swimming S14

At age 15, he is the new Canadian Paralympic star, and he made it clear to everyone by taking three gold medals and one silver in Lima 2019. He is one of the most well-rounded Para swimmers in the continent, as he has won medals in all four styles.

19.  Thiago Paulino (Brazil) Para athletics F57

He broke the world and Parapan American shot put record all in one day, collecting an epic gold medal for his country.

Carlos Neuhaus, President of the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee (COPAL), stressed that the support of the volunteer team to the Pan American and Parapan American Games organization was essential for both events to achieve international success.

“I thank you infinitely for all your efforts and for having positioned Peru at the top with the greatest Games in history. We have shown that Peru has the best volunteers in the world,” a thrilled Neuhaus concluded during the Lima 2019 Volunteer Integration Festival, held at the National University of San Marcos.

Additionally, the president of COPAL highlighted that Lima 2019 has set a precedent by turning volunteering tasks into a key element for Peruvian society to achieve, with a view to the future, new goals at a continental level.

“From now on, volunteers will be essential for Peru’s development. For the Bicentennial of Peru’s Independence, we will have this amazing group of people once again,” he said amidst the ovation and cheers of the volunteers who gathered at the National University of San Marcos.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Lima 2019 Volunteer Program, Ángela Morales, pointed out that the 18,000 volunteers who participated were the main hosts of the Games, as they showed one of Peru’s most characteristic features: hospitality.

“They internalized the message that they would be the image of Peru before the entire continent, and they made it possible for athletes, Para athletes, tourists and spectators to be welcomed with joy and to have an unforgettable stay in Lima,” he said excitedly.

After the speech, the atmosphere became filled with joy with the choreography and music shows offered by Vania Masías and Lucho Quequezana.

Later, renowned bands Los Inyectores and Son Tentación also joined in the celebration. The closing act was the band Bareto, who treated the delirious audience to their catchy tropical rhythms.

Minister of Transport and Communications María Jara Risco, Minister of Education Flor Pablo, and Minister of Women Gloria Montenegro were also in attendance at this event.

The contribution of the volunteers was critical for the success of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, thanks to teamwork and their contribution, which Panam Sports (Pan American Sports Organization) recognized. This success was then replicated at the Parapan American Games.

The head of the Lima 2019 Volunteer Program, Ángela Morales, revealed that 5900 volunteers, distributed throughout several sports venues and with various operational roles, participated in the Parapan American Games, which ended on September 1.

She also said that the number of volunteers for these Games has been quite motivating and has left a strong volunteer program for Peru as a legacy, which must be taken on by an institution, so that this model can be repeated in future international events.

Morales stated that a platform was implemented to distribute types of certificates online: one for the training volunteers received and another for their participation in the Games. Each volunteer will obtain two certificates for having been a part of the successful Lima 2019 Volunteer Program.

PAN AMERICAN GAMES VOLUNTEERS IN NUMBERS

The head of the Lima 2019 Volunteer Program also highlighted that the Organizing Committee successfully closed the first stage of the Pan American Games. “We are delighted with the results; everyone did their part and actively participated, which should be a source of pride for all Peruvians,” she said.

She specified that 11,900 volunteers participated in the Pan American Games, 85% of which were young people between the ages of 18 and 25; also, 60% of the total number of volunteers were women. All of this is part of the contribution made by the Lima 2019 Volunteer Program for Peru.

Morales also stated that the 630 underage volunteers, between 16 and 17 years of age, also did an outstanding job. There were 480 volunteers who came from different parts of the world, such as Germany, the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, among other countries.

Another important group of volunteers were senior citizens, who were approximately 600. They gave their time and kind disposition to support these Games.

It should be noted that the Lima 2019 volunteers were trained prior to carrying out their tasks. They worked in marketing, spectator services and the press. They all had the chance to select a venue to volunteer at and, in exchange for their work, they received transportation, food and accident insurance.

Over 8000 students from 22 public schools (IE) of Metropolitan Lima saw the best Para athletes in action, during the 10 days of Parapan American Games competitions. This was possible thanks to the free tickets provided by the Organizing Committee, as part of the second stage of the “Soy Lima 2019” campaign.

Some of the most exciting images of Lima 2019 include the children and teenagers cheering on the Para athletes in the competition venues, and their excitement when witnessing how, with determination and courage, athletes were able to win medals.

The schools that participated in this second stage of the campaign were: Nº 6070 Héroes del Alto Cenepa, Nº 4016 Néstor Gambeta, Nº 5022 Francisco Izquierdo Ríos, Nº 6056 Santa Rosa Alta, Nº 6067 Juan Velasco Alvarado, Nº 7216 Villa de Jesús, Nº 7077 Virgen del Carmen, Nº 6069 Pachacútec, Nº 5084 Carlos Phillips, Nº 1204 Villa Jardín, Nº 6081 Manuel Scorza Torres, Nº 7228 Peruano Canadiense, Nº 1216 Miguel Grau Seminario, Manuel Seoane Corrales, República de Bolivia, Nº 7095 Perú Italia, Nº 7057 Soberana Orden de Malta, Nº 7094 Sasakawa, Nº 6004 Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo, Nº 6059 Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, Nº 6093 Coronel Juan Valer Sandoval and Juan Guerrero Quimper.

Thanks to this initiative, these students learned the Olympic and Paralympic values of courage and determination and that, although the road to success is a long one, they can make it to the finish line with dedication and effort.

It is worth noting that the students’ participation was coordinated with the Ministry of Education through the Regional Bureau of Education of Metropolitan Lima (DRELM) and the Regional Bureau of Education of Callao (DREC).

“SOY LIMA” CAMPAIGN

The Lima 2019 Organizing Committee developed this initiative in April 2019, to be carried out in three stages. The first consisted of visiting different schools in Metropolitan Lima to spread the Olympic and Paralympic values of equality, inspiration, courage and determination through activations, socio-cultural programs and the presence of high-performance athletes.

The second stage of this campaign gave students the opportunity to learn about new Para sports disciplines by attending competitions at sports venues, in order to raise awareness and inspire more children to achieve a society that can provide greater opportunities to people with an impairment.

The students were accompanied by teachers, parents and/or personnel of the Regional Bureau of Education of Metropolitan Lima (DRELM) and the Regional Bureau of Education of Callao (DREC).

Finally, the third and last stage will consist of applying what has been learnt in the educational classes of the Pan American and Parapan American Games. This way, during their school hours, students will be able to learn about the values and benefits of these activities and the new sports disciplines that were contested for the first time in Peru.

This teaching methodology will take place in 20 sessions, lasting 45 to 90 minutes, where students can expand their understanding of diverse topics related to Lima 2019, so they can discover their skills and live a healthy life through sports.