Lima 2019: Top Peruvian athletes

Athletes from across the continent are training hard with Lima 2019 only one year away.

The biggest Parapan American Games ever will feature 1,800 athletes from around 30 countries competing across 17 sports.

Peruvians are hoping to celebrate medal success on home soil, but who are the hosts’ biggest hopes?

Pilar Jauregui

Led the Peruvian women’s wheelchair basketball team into the 2017 Americas Cup after achieving qualification at the South American Championships. She has also enjoyed success in wheelchair tennis and badminton as well and is still unsure which of the three sports she will focus on for Lima 2019.

Israel Hilario Rimas

Has been among the world’s top cyclists in the men’s C2 category for several years. His most important victory so far came at the 2015 Road World Championships in Nottwil, Switzerland, where he won gold in the road race. Rimas also holds a Parapan American silver from Toronto 2015.

Efrain Sotacuro

Was Peru’s athlete who better performed at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, coming in fourth in the men’s marathon T46. Had both his arms amputated as a kid after touching the high-voltage transmission lines by accident. “Lima 2019 will be a big sports celebration,” he said.

Maria de Jesus Trujillo

Made history for Peru by becoming the country’s first medallist at a Youth Parapan American Games. The swimmer won silver in the women’s 50m freestyle S6 at Sao Paulo 2017. “With our performances at Lima 2019 we are going to inspire a lot of people,” she said.

Pedro Pablo de Vinatea

Has been a driving force behind the development of Para badminton in Peru. He won World Championships medals and Pan American titles in the sport. In 2013, Vinatea was named Peruvian Para Athlete of the Year. As a kid and a teenager, he also took multiple junior titles.