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.

Photo Gallery (click here)

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. 

Photo gallery (click here) 

A weekend full of sports. The Peruvian women’s football team will look to beat Panama, with the support of fans, this Saturday on the last date of group B’s first stage at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. 

Although team Peru, coached by Brazilian Doriva Bueno, has obtained acceptable outcomes against Argentina and Costa Rica, results were not what he expected. However, a chance at payback will come on Saturday night at 20:30, when the women’s team will have an opportunity to change their situation at the Stadium of the National University of San Marcos. 

Starting at 17:30, the group’s leading teams (Argentina and Costa Rica), both qualified with two wins and six points, will compete to decide the pool winner. 

In Group A, Colombia (first with 4 points) and Mexico (third with 3 points) will compete at 10:00. On the other hand, Paraguay (second with four points) and Jamaica (last without points or goals) will conclude this decisive day at 13:00. 

A GROWING MEDAL COUNT 

On the twelfth day of competition, new gold medals will be disputed.  This is the case of track cycling. Starting at 18:57, medals for men's sprint and points race will be defined at the velodrome of the National Sports Village (VIDENA) in San Luis. 

Medals will also be defined in men’s synchronized springboard diving and women’s 10m platform finals to be held at the VIDENA Aquatic Center starting at 19:00. 

Villa El Salvador Sports Center will also host the individual and group rhythmic gymnastics finals starting at 14:05. In Tennis, matches for the bronze medal in mixed and women’s doubles will be held starting at 14:00 at Club Lawn Tennis, Jesús María. And the same for men's doubles. 

And, starting at 17:00, the women's and men's doubles finals will be played. Meanwhile, air rifle mixed team, women’s pistol, and men’s skeet shooting finals have been scheduled at the Las Palmas Air Base Shooting Range in Santiago de Surco. These competitions will start at 11:00. 

FINAL STRETCH 

In men's hockey, Peru and Canada will face off starting at 16:00 at Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center. Prior to this game, we will have Argentina vs. Cuba (14:00), Mexico vs. United States (12:00), and Chile vs. Trinidad and Tobago (10:00). 

Also, men’s indoor volleyball semifinals will be disputed at 18:30 at the Callao Sports Center. While at the Surf High-Performance Center (CAR) in Punta Rocas, waves are expected to mean great and prolonged men's and women's surf competitions. 

Fascinating racquetball singles matches will be held on the courts of the Callao Regional Sports Village starting at 10:00. Meanwhile, equestrian team and individual eventing will take place, starting at 11:00, at the Army Equestrian School in La Molina. 

Basketball, a sport that has gathered many spectators at Eduardo Dibós Coliseum in San Borja, will have its men's semifinals at 18:00. 

Baseball will have a very intense day at the Villa Maria del Triunfo Sports Center from 10:00. Canoe slalom will have men’s and women’s events in Río Cañete Lunahuana, also starting at 10:00. 

An unusually sunny afternoon in Lima came along with the best tennis in the Americas at the Pan American Games. As in its best afternoons, the main stadium of Lawn Tennis de la Exposición club showed an incredible atmosphere, pretty much like that of the Davis Cup. Sadly, this was not enough for Juan Pablo Varillas to qualify fwor the men's singles semifinal.

Varillas as defeated by Chilean Matías Barrios on the central court, whose grandstands shook every time the Peruvian tennis player hit the ball. The spectators would not stop cheering on the Peruvian during the nearly three hours this match lasted, especially in the penultimate set, in which he recovered from seven match points.

“Juan Pablo (Varillas) played at an incredible level as he has been for a while. I think that he'll reach the top of his game at any moment. He had the bonus of a very entertaining environment for us both, which lifted him up in the tensest moments. The court also helped him to move fast,” said the Chilean tennis player.

Chilean Barrios will face Argentinian Guido Andreozzi, while Brazilian Joao Menezes will face another Argentinian, Facundo Bagnis. These matches will be held tomorrow morning.

In the evening, the Peruvian representatives for men’s doubles did not qualify for the medal-defining matches, as they were defeated by Argentinians Andreozzi and Bagnis. Sergio Galdós and Juan Pablo Varillas will still play for the bronze medal tomorrow at 15:30, facing off Bolivians BorisArias and Federico Zeballos.

In the last match, the Peruvian pair Anastasia Iamachkine and Galdós will face off the Bolivian pair Noelia and Federico Zeballos, to qualify for the final and thus fight for the gold medal.

Photo gallery (click here)

The morning was cold, but the sun shone in the afternoon, just as the incredible performance of the three-time Pan American skeet champion Kimberly Rhode, who showed her talent again at Las Palmas Shooting Range.

“I’ve already been to Peru for other competitions, but this scenario is impressive. The Games are wonderful, the Village, the food, the facilities. Peru should be very proud,” Kim stated. Rhode became the youngest gold medalist in shooting at Atlanta 96 Olympic Games.

The three Toronto 2015 medalists had reached the final after the qualifying stage of today’s event. Besides gold-medal winner Kim Rhode, the Argentinian Melissa Gil and the Chilean Francisca Crovetto won silver and bronze medals, respectively.  

Kim has participated in many Olympic and world events. She had the privilege of breaking the Pan American record at Lima 2019. Her achievements in this type of competition are really impressive. Rhode competed in seven Pan American Games, winning five gold medals at Winnipeg 1999, Santo Domingo 2003, Guadalajara 2011, Toronto 2015 and Lima 2019, as well as a silver medal at Rio 2007.

“I feel old every time I hear that. These are my seventh Pan American Games, so I have a lot of history. I feel very honored and I love that,” Kim said.

She comes from California so the shining sun in the afternoon in Surco district was not an obstacle for her. “A sunny day’s always good. Weather is always a challenge in shooting because we have to adjust everything to improve our aim and that makes it more difficult. But after all, it’s been a great competition from start to finish,” the Atlanta 96, Athens 2004 and London 2008 Olympic champion added.

Photo gallery (click here)

One of the most expected events of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games is the race walk competition. It will be held on August 4 and 11 in Miraflores district and will be free of charges for all spectators. For this reason, the organizing committee provided recommendations for attendees to maintain a respectful behavior towards athletes.  

The women’s 20 km race walk will be held on August 4 and will start at 08:00. On the other hand, the men’s 20 km race walk will start at 10:30. The women’s and men’s 50 km walk race will be held on August 11 and will start at 07:00.  

The route, to be followed by the athletes in both events, will start and finish at Av. José Larco (close to the Municipality of Miraflores), up to the intersection with Calle Tarata. Then, the return will be along the same streets up to Óvalo de Miraflores. The race circuit is 1 km; therefore, the athletes will have to walk 20 and 50 laps, as appropriate.  

Respect for the Athlete 

Jacqueline Lobrano, Lima 2019, Spectator Services head said that people have various pedestrian accesses to go and cheer for their favorite local and foreign athletes. She also encouraged to behave appropriately for the best development of the competition.  

"As spectators, we should know that throwing objects to the competition track, throwing water at the athletes (there are special hydration stations) and taking pets (they may run away, enter the track and cause athletes to be disqualified) are not allowed," she said.  

We should not obstruct the circuit but respect the announced road closure duly announced by the Lima 2019 Pan American Games Organizing Committee, the Peruvian National Police (PNP) and the Municipality of Miraflores.  

The race walk is a progression of steps so that the walker is always making contact with the ground. The advancing leg must be straightened (i.e., not bent at the knee) from the moment of first contact with the ground until the vertical upright position. 

Peruvian Team 

he Peruvian women’s team is comprised of Mary Luz Andía, the race walking world’s top ten, Kimberly García, Evelyn Inga and Yoci Caballero Meanwhile, the men’s team is made up of José Carlos Mamani and Luis Henry Campos. 

In April 2019, the Peruvian women’s team won the Pan American Race Walking Cup in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, Mexico. 

The Peruvian team is confident about reaching the podium at Lima 2019. However, they will compete against 28 athletes from different countries (14 women and 14 men). Around five thousand people are expected to attend the event and root for their favorite athletes along the route.  

Detour Plan  

To ensure the optimal development of the race walk competition, the Lima 2019 Pan American Games Organizing Committee, the Municipality of Miraflores, and the Peruvian National Police (PNP) informed that the street closure plan would be carried out on August 4 and 11, from 00:00 to 15:00. 

Closed streets: 

• Av. José Larco, from Óvalo de Miraflores to Calle Tarata 

• Av. Diagonal, from Óvalo de Miraflores to Calle Schell 

• Calle Bellavista, from Calle Berlín to Av. José Pardo 

• Calle Mártir José Olaya, from Av. Diagonal to Av. José Pardo 

• Calle Schell, from Av. José Larco to Av. Diagonal 

• Av. José Pardo (Westbound), from Calle Bellavista to Óvalo de Miraflores  

Alternative routes: 

•  Westbound: Av. José Pardo- Av. Jorge Chávez – Calle José Gálvez – Av. Diagonal – Av. Benavides – Av. La Paz – Av. Ricardo Palma 

•  Eastbound: Av. Ricardo Palma – Av. Petit Thouars – Jr. Gonzales Prada – Calle Enrique Palacios – Av. Comandante Espinar – Av. José Pardo. 

•  Northbound: Av. José Pardo- Av. Benavides – Av. La Paz – Av. Ricardo Palma – Av. Petit Thouars – Jr. Gonzales Prada – Calle Enrique Palacios – Av. Comandante Espinar – Av. José Pardo. 

•  Southbound: Av. Arequipa – Calle Enrique Palacios – Calle Elías Aguirre – Av. Grau – Calle José Gonzales – Av. Diagonal

The largest sports event ever held in Peru keeps gathering Peruvian talents not only on the fields but also on stage. One of them is the Peruvian-American musician and producer Tony Succar, who will participate in the Lima 2019 cultural festival Culturaymi, which is held at the same time as the sports competitions.

Succar arrives in Peru amid a host of celebrations: the International Peruvian Cajón Festival Rafael Santa Cruz, and Culturaymi festival, where he will perform and give a master class.

“It’s a blessing to be here at this important time for Peru, when the international spotlight is on the country. I left my country at a very young age when I was 2, but I feel very Peruvian because of the music and culture I have always related to.”

The musician, who is settled in the United States, was amazed by the Lima 2019 Pan American Games held on July 26 at the National Stadium.

“The Games opening ceremony was impressive. The show was similar to a World Cup opening ceremony or a Cirque du Soleil production. All the details, people singing songs when entering the stage... Everything was very well planned and executed. It was spectacular, and I think that it sets a good example for young people in Peru.”

Regarding the importance of the Peruvian cajón in the ceremony, Succar said it strengthens the popularity of the instrument around the world. A big group of trained volunteers also participated in the show.

“That was a very big thing for me. The Peruvian cajón is today an international instrument. All musicians know what a cajón is. It has been all over Spain because it has been incorporated into flamenco, but everyone knows it comes from Peru. Even the percussionists of Jason Mraz, who is a very popular pop artists, play the cajón, and he is 100% American.”

Additionally, the Peruvian musician said he is a friend of Luis Fonsi, the opening ceremony headliner, through his brother Jean Rodríguez. Succar featured Rodríguez on Me enamoro más de ti  song, which was nominated for the Latin Grammy.

The Lima 2019 Pan American Games Opening Ceremony was a trending worldwide 

“We’re friends. Luis Fonsi’s brother has gone to my shows many times. That’s why when I see something that Luis Fonsi has done makes me very proud. The last time I saw him in person was in Puerto Rico, right before Despacito was released. Fonsi came to our concert and said that he was working on something new. He loves Peru and has a fan club here that has supported him a lot. Everyone loves Peru. I’m very proud of saying that I’m Peruvian.”

Besides, Succar provided details on his participation in  Culturaymi, with a playlist made up of mainly Peruvian songs, including part of his new disc, Más de mí, as well as songs from the Latin tribute project to Michael Jackson which made him famous.

“The show on Saturday will be spectacular here in the Nicomedes Santa Cruz amphitheater, which is an impressive stage. I was surprised when I saw it. It will be a varied show with 16 musicians on stage. It’s a wonderful team. And the rhythm section of the band will join me on Saturday and we’ll explain what we do when playing music. We’ll focus on the cajón and percussion, that is what I do, and part of the production I’ve always done in my whole career,” he added.

Early on, despite the weather, a large number of fans attended the competitions in the district of Santiago de Surco. 

There are several disciplines to see, such as men's and women's skeet, women's pistol, and men's rifle.  

Furthermore, in the women's category, Olympic champion Kimb Rohde and world champion Dania Vizzi, both of them Americans, competed at the skeet event.  

For the men's category, Nicolas Pacheco from Peru, Federico Gil from Argentina, and Juan Miguel Rodriguez from Cuba, bronze medalist at Toronto 2015, also attended the competition.  

The Pan American Games was an opportunity to show the impressive, world-class Las Palmas Air Base Shooting Range to the world. 

“It's amazing. It's one of the best fields  I've been, and it's evident that the organization did a great job,” said world champion Dania Vizzi. 

Despite the weather, her performance was superb, and she qualified to the final round. “I'm from Florida, and I'm used to hot weather, I like it better. I've participated in venues with different temperatures, even in snow, but the only thing that matters to me is having a good aim and being among the bests,”said Dania. She also praised the development of the Pan American Games and mentioned that she would like to come back to Peru.  

Vizzi will compete at the women's skeet final against Peruvian Daniela Borda, who finished the last stage with a perfect round of 25-plates. 

The Lima 2019 Pan American Games includes 12 single events, equally divided between men and women, as well as three mixed double events in the precision disciplines (pistol and rifle), and shotgun events (skeet and trap).  Events are finished tomorrow, on August 3.