Marcela Castillo, the girl who began her training in the discipline of taekwondo poomsae at the age of 8, reached her greatest achievement in her tireless rise. Castillo, two-time gold winner at the Trujillo 2013 and Santa Marta 2017 Bolivarian Games, wowed hundreds of fans with her routine at Callao Sports Center.

Castillo scored 7.530 points in the judges’ overall results, only behind Mexican Paula Fregoso, who won a gold medal after scoring 7.660. American Karin Real reached the third place (7.510 points).

Unlike taekwondo kyorugi (combat), poomsae is a mixture of defensive and offensive movements against an imaginary opponent within a set contest area. The routine, which is evaluated by a group of judges, needs to be good in terms of agility, elasticity, technique, accuracy and artistic presentation.

Photo gallery (click here)

In front of a crowd that gave her a rapturous ovation, renowned Peruvian runner Gladys Tejeda won the gold medal in the marathon, after running 42 exhausting kilometers and setting a remarkable record of 2 hours, 30 minutes and 55 seconds. As she crossed the finish line, she was praised and congratulated by Lima 2019 Organizing Committee President Carlos Neuhaus. 

With her time, Tejeda has set a new Pan American record.  

The athletes ran through the districts of Miraflores, San Isidro, Lince, Jesús María and Lima, in front of large crowds of spectators who did not stop cheering on the athletes.  

It should be noted that Gladys Tejeda became Peru's main representative in the discipline, as Inés Melchor could not participate due to injury.  

This way, Tejeda’s victory reclaims Peru’s position as the host of the most important multi-sports event in the Americas, as well as leaving a remarkable record in the Pan American all-time medal table. 

Hugo del Castillo understood that this was the best atmosphere to leave a lasting impression at Callao Sports Center. The Peruvian athlete was passionately cheered on by fans during his poomsae routine, which earned him a silver medal after the judges' overall count. 

Del Castillo managed a score of 7.490 and was marginally surpassed by American Alex Lee, who won the gold medal after scoring 7.660. Mexican Marco Arroyo reached the third place with 7.480. Del Castillo has now crowned an outstanding Olympic cycle with his silver medal at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. 

Photo gallery (click here)

If we thought the Opening Ceremony would be spectacular for its brightness and staging, the music full of Peruvian identity featured in the parade of the 41 delegations participating in the event touched the hearts of thousands of Peruvians.

Eighty-five songs are included in the Pan American Games playlist, released for free by the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee on Spotify (https://cutt.ly/FCVPzH). The playlist comprises song of Peruvian artists from different musical genres.

If the staging of the Opening Ceremony captured 4000 years of Peru’s ancient history, its music gave the National Stadium attendees an opportunity to relive the best hits of their national music, with genres such as criolla, rock and cumbia.

The mastermind behind this mixture of melodies was Lucho Quequezana, musical director of the Opening Ceremony. This beloved composer was in charge of the musical arrangement. He paired up with the talented team of Lima 2019 and the renowned Italian company, Balich WorldWide Shows, to chose the songs that made everyone dance at the National Stadium.

Lucho Quequezana is part of the group of top professionals who put on this wonderful show.

The Pan American Torch Relay was the most significant prelude to the fantastic Opening Ceremony of the most important multi-sport event of the Americas. In this emblematic relay, that precedes the lightning of the cauldron of the National Stadium, the Lima 2019 ambassadors carried the torch that lit the most varied places of Peru and abroad.

It is important to remember that Lima 2019 ambassadors are athletes that, beside standing out for their sporting qualities over an award-winning career, also embody the essence of the Olympic and Paralympic Games values: excellence, friendship, respect, courage, determination, equality and inspiration. 

The ambassadors carried the symbol of the Pan American Games, named New Fire. Alexandra Grande, our main karate representative, was the first to carry the Lima 2019 Pan American Torch when it was ignited in Teotihuacan, Mexico, before it arrived in Cusco to connect the two ancient cultures of the Americas. Pilar Jaúregui, current Para badminton champion, also attended the ceremony.

Once in Peru, the world cup football player and Peruvian legend Héctor Chumpitaz had the honor of taking the relay through the main streets and avenues of the Miraflores district, surrounded by the people enthusiasm and applause.

One of the most important Peruvian surf representatives and two-times world champion Benoit “Piccolo” Clemente was also part of the relay in the city of Trujillo. Nicholas Fuchs, one of the most important Peruvian car racers, and five-times consecutive national champion between 2007 and 2011, also carried the torch.

In this amazing itinerary across Peru also participated Para athletes Luis Miguel Sandoval, athlete of 1500 m and 5000 m races for people with visual impairments, and María de Jesús Trujillo, who had great performances in Para swimming international tournaments and won the silver in Sao Paulo 2017.

SPREADING VALUES

Lima 2019 ambassadors were not only in charge of carrying the torch, they also gave their best to spread the Games values. They also shared the importance of the great four legacies for Peru of the multi-sports event: a social-educational, sporting, economic and urban heritage.

ABOUT THE AMBASSADORS PROGRAM

The Organizing Committee of the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games (COPAL) developed the Ambassadors Program to promote, through outstanding athletes and Para athletes, the sport, Olympic and Paralympic values, using different communication platforms.

They were classified as medalist, legend and value ambassadors. The actions executed included visiting schools in 14 districts were competition venues are located, participating in Lima 2019 activities, among others.

This was the moment all Peruvians and over 400 million viewers were waiting for. The lighting of the Pan American flame caught everyone’s attention as it marked the official start of the Pan American Games. This flame will light the largest multi-sport event in the continent.

The torch was lit on an replica of Machu Picchu, Peru’s main tourist attraction. Edith Noeding, who claimed the gold at the Mexico 1975 Pan American Games and participated in the Munich and Montreal Olympics was chosen as the first torchbearer of the ceremony.

Additionally, two young athletes participated in the ceremony torch relay: Romina Ariana Baltazar Miñan, who will compete in judo at 14 years old, and Carlos “Nano” Fernandez, champion at the U15 ITTF Table Tennis World Championships.

The highlight of the ceremony came when Lucha Fuentes received the torch. She won the silver medal at the San Juan 1979 Pan American Games, claimed the South American title six times and ranked 4th in at Japan 1967.

Finally, the Olympic Cauldron was lit by Cecilia Tait, called “The Golden Lefty”, on the top of the Machu Picchu replica at the National Stadium. She is one the best Peruvian volleyball players in the world, won the silver medal at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games and is part of the Volleyball Hall of Fame. She is a sport star all Peruvians are proud of. 

ABOUT LIMA 2019

The opening ceremony of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games will be held today at the National Stadium. This continental event will gather 6680 athletes from 41 countries and delegations from the Americas.

There will be 17 days of competitions and ceremonies during July 26 and August 11, which will take place in 14 districts of Lima and Callao. Some of the venues are the VIDENA, Villa María Sports Center, Callao Regional Village, Villa El Salvador Sports Center, Punta Rocas, among others.

The Lima 2019 Pan American Games will include 39 sports and 62 disciplines, in which athletes will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. A total of 21 disciplines are qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The Pan American torch relay, which lasted 23 days and traveled through several Peruvian cities, has finished. July 26 was an exciting day; the end of an unforgettable route started a new one: the 2019 Pan American Games.

Lima was the last city in the Pan American Flame relay. A total of 54 torchbearers relayed the flame along the 9-kilometer journey, which included the districts of Miraflores and Surquillo.

The relay started at 11:00, when the torch left the BAP Unión on the coast of Callao, to head to Los Yuyos beach. Then, it went along Av. Benavides, Av. Larco, Av. Pardo and arrived at Malecón Cisneros, where physician Ricardo Pun lit the first cauldron. Former tennis player Luis Horna and former football player Héctor Chumpitaz also participated.

The Pan American Flame then arrived in Surquillo. The journey started at the Casa de la Juventud of the district and continued on Av. República de Panamá, Av. Angamos, Av. Principal and Av. Villarán, ending at the Carlos Moscoso Stadium on Av. Tomás Marsano. Journalist Mónica Delta, former World Surfing Champion Sofía Mulanovich, Lima Major Jorge Muñoz, President of the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games Organizing Committee Carlos Neuhaus, and Peruvian Football Team’s goalkeeper Pedro Gallese participated. It was the latter who lit the central cauldron.

Julie Freundt was the closing act for the celebration in Surquillo, making everybody dance.

Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center reopened its doors. This time it was rugby in both men's and women's events. There was a pleasant atmosphere at the venue. Early on, fans of various nationalities were present to encourage their respective countries. The fun was guaranteed with a face painting show for children and entertainment for adults.

And so it was. While 14 female players faced a tough match on the field, divided in two halves of seven minutes each, the atmosphere in the grandstands was that of a party.

The day opened with a lively match between Argentina and Colombia, with a 24-14 win for the Colombians. Then, the United States earned a comprehensive victory over Trinidad and Tobago by beating them 55-0. Both matches belong to Group A.

Peruvian Debut

With the song “Contigo Peru” as background, the Peruvian team took to the field to face a big rival, Brazil—reigning South American champions—in a match for group B. Under constant encouragement, the home team went ahead with a Michelle Flores try, but soon the action was leveled. The Peruvian hopes were short-lived as Brazil showed their supremacy, especially in the second half, eventually defeating the Peruvian team 33-5.

“It hurts me to lose, because it's our flag, it's our home, but this means that there are many things for us to improve,” said Michelle Flores, who highlighted the positive atmosphere experienced in Villa María del Triunfo. “What does it feel like to score? It's incredible, but we do this as a team,” she mentioned.

In the second match, Canada defeated Mexico 54-0 in a match for Group B.  

Also for Men's

But the games didn't finish there. After the women's matches, the male rugby players also jumped onto the field. For Group A, Brazil and Chile played an exciting match, whose final result showed how even it was: 14-14. Both teams left the field with well-deserved applause from the grandstands.

In other results, the United States beat Guyana 62-0, also in Group A, while in Group B, Canada beat Uruguay 31-0 and finally Argentina, the current South American champions, beat Jamaica 52-0.

The action continues tomorrow at Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center from 10:10 with the match between Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago for Group A. Peru will face off Canada at 11:00.

To be part of the Rubgy celebration, buy your tickets at lima2019.pe/tickets or at any authorized point of sale across the city.

The Lima 2019 Organizing Committee presented the Lima 2019 Pan American Games official chocolate today. It is called Milco, manufactured by Casa Magna and made with Peruvian cocoa.

Milco chocolate is made with 35% Peruvian cocoa under high standards of quality. “It was made with a lot of effort and love to stay in the heart of all Peruvians and visitors who will participate in the Games,” highlighted Countess Isabel de Mauleon de Bruyeres, Manager of the company.

Meanwhile, Jaime Reusche, main advisor for the Senior Management of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, thanked Casa Magna for its initiative and contribution, and highlighted the eye-catching packaging which portrays the various sports disciplines which make up the Games.

It was named Milco after the Games mascot, which is in turn inspired by the "Cuchimilco", a clay statuette representative of the Chancay culture.

Photo gallery (click here)

Just a few hours before the Pan American Games opening ceremony at the National Stadium, everything is ready to experience a true celebration of sports in the Americas. This was assured by the official spokesperson for Lima 2019, Carlos Manuel Lazarte, at the usual press conference for accredited media.

“Besides the participation of internationally renowned artists such as Luis Fonsi or Juan Diego Flórez, we will have 1700 people on stage. The rehearsal was very successful!” he emphasized.

The gates of the National Stadium for the 2019 Lima Pan American Games Opening Ceremony will be opened this Friday, July 26, at 15:00. Spectators will be able to enter until 7 pm, just before the beginning of the show.

He also highlighted the satisfaction shown by the 41 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) with the development and organization of the event. “At the Chefs de Mission Meetings, at the General Assembly, they celebrated the fact that Lima—and Peru—have been able to build world-class sports venues in such a short time,” he said.

ROAD PLAN

Street closures on roads near competition and ceremony venues was the last topic discussed by the Lima 2019 spokesperson, who urged citizens to use public transportation and avoid private vehicles.

It must be noted that the entrance for the Opening Ceremony will be at the north zone, and the access roads will be Av. Bauzate y Meza and Calle José Díaz.

Furthermore, traffic will be closed along some sections of the following avenues: Arequipa, De La Peruanidad, Pardo de Zela and Manuel Candamo, Manuel del Pino, Mariano Carranza, Alejandro Tirado, Montero Rosas, among others. Learn more at www.lima2019.pe.

TICKET PURCHASE

Carlos Manuel Lazarte informed that there are tickets available for the preliminary rounds of many competitions and he urged the public to buy them in order to offer their encouragement to the athletes at the various sport venues.

“There are tickets available for some preliminary rounds. People can buy them on the Lima 2019 website: lima2019.pe/tickets. They can also be bought on the Teleticket page or at one of the 11 points of sale across the city,” he said.

These points of sale are set up at Jockey Plaza shopping center in Santiago de Surco and the Metro and Wong supermarkets in Chorrillos, Independencia, La Molina, Lima, Miraflores, San Borja, San Isidro, San Juan de Miraflores, San Miguel and Surco.