Many images will remain in our memory, since that July 24, when the eighteenth edition of the Pan American Games started in the beach volleyball courts of Costa Verde San Miguel. The 6680 athletes that visited Lima 2019 left us beautiful moments of triumph and defeat that will forever carved in the memory of each person that had the chance of being part of this sport celebration of the Americas.

1. The Games opening ceremony was a reunion with our culture and national identity. The most touching moment was the participation of the tenor Juan Diego Flórez, singing live Chabuca Granda´s songs.
2. The first medal for Peru was awarded on July 27, in taekwondo – Poomsae. The silver medal for Hugo del Castillo and the medal awarded to Marcela Castillo ignited the fans at the Callao Sports Center.
3. The first gold medal for Peru was awarded on that same day. Gladys Tejeda, and Christian Pacheco right after, broke Pan American records in marathon to earn their medals.
4. Peru ended that memorable July 27 with a third gold medal, after the victory of Diego Elías in squash. In just one day, Peruvian athletes matched the best gold medal count on Pan American Games. 
5. British Virgin Islands (Chantel Malone in long jump), Grenada (Anderson Peters in javelin throw), Bolivia (in racquetball in teams), Barbados (Shane Brathwaite in 110 meters hurdles) and Paraguay (Fabrizio Zanotti in golf) won their first gold medals in the history of the Pan American Games. An indelible memory for these nations in Lima 2019. In addition, Aruba won its first medal with the bronze obtained by Mack van den Eerenbeemt in sailing.
6. Andrea Vargas became the first Costa Rican women to win a gold medal in athletics for her country. She defeated two Americans in the 100 meters hurdles event.
7. Natalia Cuglievan and Alexandra Grande won their second consecutive gold medal .in Pan American Games. They are the most prize-winning Peruvian athletes in this kind of continental events.
8. Peruvian surf took three golds in an unprecedented session in Punta Rocas. Benoit Clemente, Daniella Rosas and Luca Mesinas reached the top of the Pan American podium.                                       
9. Romantic moments. The Argentinian gymnast Federico Molinari proposes to her fiancée Paula Cancio during a live interview. In addition, Peruvian athlete Paola Mautino was surprised by her fiancé and coach, after competing in the 4x100 m event, when he approached her, a ring in his hand, to ask her to marry him.
10. Men's karate reached a milestone for Peruvian sport: four medals in four finals. The kata men’s team took the gold. Peru won three bronzes in the men’s and women’s individual kata and in the women’s team event.
11. The moving drop-off from Argentinian judoka Paula Pareto because of an injury. She fought with a back pain in Lima 2019, but she did it as a champion. However, she could not fight for the bronze and lost by walk-over.
12. In the 4x100 freestyle relay, Brazil defeated USA and completely destroyed the Pan American record at the Aquatic Center.
13. The uncontrollable crying of Brazilian Ederson Vilela at the top of the podium, after winning the 10000 m event at the athletics stadium of VIDENA. Vilela confessed that he did not think he could win this event, that his hopes were on the 5000 m event where he placed seventh.
14. Brazil won the 1500 meters swimming event, after 68 years, in Buenos Aires 1951. Guilherme Costa dominated the men’s endurance event.
15. The Brazilian women’s handball team won its fifth consecutive gold in Lima 2019 by defeating Argentina, for the third consecutive time in this kind of event.
16. Eve Jobs, Steve Jobs’ daughter, competed in the equestrian jumping event and won bronze in the individual contest. The Apple's co-founder heir was very happy with how Peru welcomed her.
17. Argentina made the podium in every group sport, except in women’s basketball. The women’s team lost its match against Colombia by W.O. because athletes were not wearing the uniform agreed at the technical meeting the day before.
18. Nathan Adrian, one of the biggest USA swimming stars, won two gold and three silver medals in Lima. The American swimmers praised the Games organization and was amazed by the five cuchimilcos he received in the podium.
19. The Mexican diver Paola Espinosa reached an amazing score in Lima 2019 by winning her fifth medal in Pan American Games, something that will be forever carved in Mexico’s sport history.

Gymnastics is a discipline, which will undoubtedly be further developed in the next few years in Peru, thanks to the infrastructure that will remain after the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games. 

Ariana Orrego, with only 20 years old and one of the Peruvian representatives in this sport, is very clear on that. In an interview with accredited media in the Main Press Center located at the Lima Convention Center, in San Borja, she emphasized that “everything you need to be a good gymnast is in Peru.” 

“The Villa El Salvador Sports Center is new and fully equipped.  There is no longer any need to leave the country (to receive a high-performance training),” she said to the press. 

Moreover, she highlighted the amazing support of the fans, even though in many cases they didn’t know the sport, and even more as being locals. For this reason, she dared to advise children, who (with the attention generated by the Games) are willing to practice sports. 

“It is good that they start practicing sports from an early age,” she said. She expressed her satisfaction with her performance in the competition, as she met the goals she set to reach the final stage. “Now, I’m going for more,” she concluded. 

It is worth mentioning that Ariana participated along with Fabiola Díaz in the women’s artistic gymnastics balance beam finals, and placed eighth and fourth, respectively.

Perhaps several years ago, no one would have imagined such an attendance in a gymnastics event, a sport struggling to be recognized in Peru even though worldwide it arouses a lot of interest for the marvelous maneuvers performed by gymnasts in top competitions.

Thanks to Lima 2019, Peru has a new sports center: venue located on the heart of Villa El Salvador district. It was at this venue where the gymnastics events took place, raising a huge interest among its hundreds of attendees only in the first four days of competition.

All events were held with a full venue and with the best conditions of accessibility and comfort for the attendees and athletes. On July 30 afternoon, five high-level finals were held showing outstanding performances, such as the one made by the Chilean Tomás González. He fulfilled his promise to win the gold medal at Lima 2019 by defeating Robert Neff from the United States and the Colombian Andrés Martínez, who won the bronze. In this event, the Peruvian Daniel Agüero placed sixth, while the Brazilian Arthur Zanetti placed seventh.

The audience also enjoyed the pommel horse finals. In this competition, the Brazilian Carlos Barretto took home the gold; while Robert Neff from the USA and Colombia’s Carlos Calvo bagged the silver and bronze, respectively. The Peruvian Jesús Moreto placed eighth.

In women’s vault, the gold went to the Canadian Elsabeth Ann Black, followed by Yesenia Ferrera from Cuba and Shallon Olsen from Canada. Meanwhile, in the rings event, Mexico’s Fabián de Luna surprised everyone by defeating the Brazilian Arthur Zanetti, who obtained the silver medal. The Argentinian Federico Molinari was the happiest at the event. He reached the bronze and received a loud ovation from his fellow Argentinians.

Finally, on women’s uneven bars finals, the member of the gold-medal-winning team at the 2018 World Championships, Miley McCusker from United States, claimed the gold. Recently, she placed second at the U.S. Classic Gymnastics Tournament. Leanne Wong got the silver medal, while the Canadian Elisabeth Ann Black earned the bronze. Without a doubt this was a top level event with a huge audience, which forecasts a rising interest for this sport in Peru, where only football prevails.

Photo gallery (click here)

Arthur Zanetti has an impressive track record that includes gold medals in Olympic Games, World Championships and Pan American Games; however, he thinks these achievements are not enough. The Brazilian artistic gymnastics star excels in the rings, always showing a performance that makes him one of the legends of the Latin American sport, an event you cannot miss in Lima 2019.

Zanetti arrived in Lima ready to earn his third consecutive Pan American gold, in the Villa El Salvador Sports Center. On July 27, the Brazilian athlete starts with the team event, and the following day, on June 28, he competes in the rings. The finals of this discipline is scheduled on July 30. Tickets are still available for the preliminary rounds. In an interview with Lima 2019, the Olympic champion in London 2012, was happy to stay in our capital.

“I have spent amazing days here in Lima. Ever since I came here on Saturday, the organizers have made us feel welcome. Regarding the inside of the Pan American Village, I thought the facilities were very good, as well as the gym and the stages. I feel these Games are going to be wonderful in Lima. Congratulations to all,” stated the Panam Sports Ambassador.

About his participation in Lima 2019, the athlete expressed he was in good shape. “I’m finally ready for the Games, after several competitions and demanding trainings. I think the Brazilian team is at their best. Even though we cannot guarantee a medal, we are going to fight to get to the most finals and also give our best performance to reach the highest place in the podium,” he added.

At last, he left a message for Peruvian gymnasts: “The Peruvian gymnastics has grown. I met several Peruvian athletes in recent years and my message to them is to not stop training with dedication. To give their best, but always for the love of the sport, because when we pursue our dreams, and we believe in them, there will be results in the long run. I’m an example of that, because I was very dedicated and had a lot of respect for my technical team,” he expressed.

TICKTES FOR PEN 10

To see the best gymnasts of the continent, you can get your tickets at lima2019.pe/tickets. The Lima 2019 Organizing Committee has recently installed a point of sale at Jockey Plaza Shopping Center, in Santiago de Surco. This new point of sale joins the other ten already located in Metro and Wong supermarkets, in the districts of Chorrillos, Independencia, La Molina, Lima, Miraflores, San Borja, San Isidro, San Juan de Miraflores, San Miguel and Surco.

Tickets prices start at PEN 20 or 10 for the Pan American and Parapan American Games, respectively. There will be 50% off for people with an impairment and their companion, senior citizens and anyone under the age of 18. It should be noted that 21 competitions in the Pan American Games are qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, while 13 Para sports will be qualifiers for the Paralympic Games.

The Lima 2019 Pan American Games will gather 6680 athletes from 41 countries and delegations of the Americas. There will be 19 days of competitions and ceremonies between July 24 and August 11, 2019, which will take place in 14 districts of Lima and Callao. Some venues are the VIDENA, Villa Maria Sports Center, Callao Regional Village, Villa El Salvador Sports Center, Punta Rocas, among others.