Race walking in South America continues its trend of international growth.
More and more athletes participating in this specialty and achieve excellent results in the championships, the IAAF Challenge and big competitions that take place in different parts of the world.
The recent events of Pan American Games held in Toronto and in the Junior Pan American Championships in Edmonton are an indisputable example of the evolution of the discipline in CONSUDATLE (Confederacion Sudamericana de Atletismo).
What happened in the two Canadian cities shows that the international outlook and a reaffirmation of what happened a few months ago in the Pan American Cup in Arica.
Note that in Chile, the South American athletes had obtained nothing less than twenty qualifying standards for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The periodic dispute of the Copa Sudamericana de Marcha, designed by Argentina in the South American continent (CONSUDATLE) at the end of the eighties, and made the first time in 1990 in Guayaquil in Ecuador is paying off after nineteen editions.
All this is nothing but the clear result of the continuous work of hundreds of athletes, coaches, judges and executives in several countries in our region.
The numbers of 2015 numbers speak for themselves about the work that is being done in South America.
Comparative financial statements with the area of North America (NACAC) can also be analyzed below:
Pan American Games in Toronto (Canada)
Of the 9 medals up for grabs 5 went to athletes of NACAC and 4 to those of CONSUDATLE
20 km men
1. Evan Dunfee (CAN) 1:23:06
2. Iñaki Gómez (CAN) 1:24:25
3. Caio Bonfim (BRA) 1:24:43
50 km men
1. Andres Chocho (ECU) 3:50:13
2. Erick Barrondo (ESA) 3:55:57
3. Horacio Nava (MEX 3:57:28
20 km Women
1. Maria Gonzalez (MEX) 1:29:24
2. Erica De Sena (BRA) 1:30:03
3. Paola Pérez (ECU) 1:31:53
Pan American Junior Championships in Edmonton (Canada)
Of the six medals up for grabs 5 went to the athletes of CONSUDATLE and 1 those of NACAC
10,000m men
1. Cesar Rodriguez (PER) 42: 12.81
2. Diego Cuellar (COL) 43: 04.31
3. Oscar Menjivar (ESA) 44: 31.74
10,000 women
1. Stefany Coronado (BOL) 47: 11.5
2. Karla Jaramillo (ECU) 47: 47.61
3. Daniela Pastrana (COL) 48: 57.09
Pan American Cup in Arica (Chile).
Of the 15 medals up for grabs 9 went to athletes of CONSUDATLE and 6 to those of NACAC
20 km men
1. Erick Barrondo (GUA) 1:21:25
2. Caio Bonfim (BRA) 1:21:26
3. Ivan Garrido (COL) 1:21:39
50 km men
1. Horacio Nava (MEX) 3:35:41
2. Cristian Berdeja (MEX) 3:50:19
3. James Rendon (COL) 3:50:47
20 km Women
1. Maria Gonzalez (MEX) 1:29:21
2. Kimberley Garcia (PER) 1:31:13
3. Mirna Ortiz (GUA) 1:31:31
10.000m Junior men
1. Braian Fuentes (COL) 41:41
2. Paul Yurivilca (PER) 41:45
3. Oscar Menjivar (ESA) 42:36
10.000m Junior Women
1. Stefany Coronado (BOL) 47:05
2. Karla Jaramillo (ECU) 47:19
3. Maria Montoya (COL) 47.38
The total
The 30 medals at stake in 2015, three major events, eighteen were won by athletes for athletes of CONSUDATLE and twelve of those NACAC
A performance that South America that was obtained at the recent world championships under 18 in Cali, Colombia.
In men over forty athletes the best five South American representatives have the 6th place (Cesar Herrera COL), the 7th (Ariel Cayllante, BOL), 12th (Juan Jimenez, COL), the 13th (Jhonatan, ECU) and 14th (Matheus Correa, BRA).
Among women, with 35 participants, the best of South America was the 8th place (Maria Montoya, COL), followed by the 9th (Evelyn Inga, PER), the 13th (Leiden War PER) and 18th (Lina Bolivar, COL): And this an indication of what will be the future of this sport in our continent.
Rubén Aguilera