Luis Fernando Lopez, the first World Champion in Colombia, has announced for next year his farewell to athletics.

Today, at age 37, he has announced that will compete one more year, until the World Championships 2017 and then will retire from the sport.

These are his words on the current situation of Colombian race walk.

"There is a generational change in place, which is aimed at the chance to go back to get on a podium in a World Championship and reach a medal in the Olympics.

I think we should firmly believe this process. There is a lot of talent in Colombia, many walkers, some very good. The only thing to do is you have to convince them that they may be able to aim for the podium and allow them to have the support they need, and also need to be convinced that they can do it. But there must be someone to tell them what to do and how to do, to try to get it in the best way.

There are many good athletes, but few who are able to follow the ideal path and set aside the vanity, to achieve these goals. "

He cites the names of Eider Arenalo, Esteban Soto and Jose Montana in males and the athletes who competed in Rio (Sandra Arenas, Yeseyda Carrillo e Sandra Galvis) in females.

Lopez proposes a decentralization from Bogota with the creation of about five regions with the training centers that allow athletes to have that feed the national teams.

Full interview (in spanish): click here

 

 

Luis Fernando Lopez with the gold medal posthumously in Daegu 2011