Richard Carapaz! another milestone of Ecuadorian sport

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With his victory in the Giro d'Italia 2019, the cyclist won a place in the 'sports Olympus'  in that country. Learn about other Ecuadorian feats

Sport is one of the most important representations that international society can have, and just as there are countries that have thousands of athletes who continually bathe in glory, there are others that are not so important in successful radars. Such is the case of Ecuador, a small nation, not so well known for its sporting achievements, but that very recently achieved, by the hand of cyclist Richard Carapaz, the wonderful as an incredible feat of conquering a Giro d'Italia. Now, adding that of Carapaz, what are the most important milestones in Ecuadorian sports? In this Latin American Post compendium, we tell you about it.

Leer en español: ¡Richard Carapaz! un hito más del deporte ecuatoriano

Andrés Gómez (Roland Garros)

In 1990, the country in the middle of the world achieved its first great triumph at a professional level. He did it through the tennis player Andrés Gómez in the legendary Roland Garros, beating in the final the remembered Andrea Agassi in four sets, by 6-2,3-6,6-4, and 6-4.

Recalls Mundodeportivo in one of his publications, that Andrés Gómez, who was 30 years old at the time of that final, was a pure lesson of refinement. He did everything right that day in Parisian ground, but he also found a disoriented Agassi in the clay, who later told in an interview that he played that commitment with a wig in the face of the alopecia that he was beginning to go through, and this ended up influencing him to deconcentrate him and lead him to defeat.

Jefferson Pérez (Olympic Games of Atlanta)

The 1996 Atlanta Olympics was the perfect event for the marcher Jefferson Pérez to live a moment of absolute satisfaction for the Ecuadorian people, after winning the athletic march of the games and conquering the first gold medal for the Latin American nation.

Read also: Girl power! 5 women who dream with the Olympic glory  

According to La Enciclopedia of Ecuador, it was marvelous what Perez exhibited in those 20 kilometers of march in which he barely saw a stela was released from the favorites to the title and shined with its own light to savor the glory. However, Perez not only achieved that gold. He was a famous athlete throughout his career. He dominated many jousts including three world championships of discipline and Olympic silver in Beijing 2008.

Antonio Valencia (Manchester United)

Although the milestones are characterized by specific moments, they are also built over time and based on perseverance, and what Luis Antonio Valencia did in a period of 19 years within Manchester United was marvelous.

As reported by the newspaper As of Spain, "Toño" not only won 10 tournaments within the club, including two Premier League and a Europa League on the right side of the red devils, but also became a true figure of the club, reaching the record of being the first Latin American footballer in history to be captain of the English team , a merit he shares with top players like Sir Boby Charton, Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, and Ryan Giggs.

Sports League of Quito (Copa Libertadores)

In 2008, Ecuadorian soccer achieved the most important record in its history, after the Liga Deportiva de Quito, a team that was not even one of the most traditional teams in this country, let alone the subcontinent, was champion of the Copa Libertadores in a feat that they christened the "new Maracanazo" by dominating Fluminense in its legendary venue.

Account El Comercio, which under the technical direction of Edgardo "El Patón" Bauza and based on a race group led by Agustín Delgado, Claudio Bieler and Luis Bolaños, the League of Quito was advancing round by round with full authority. He left on the way legendary teams like Estudiantes de la Plata, San Lorenzo and América de México, among others, to finally defeat the Brazilians and become the only club in that country in 60 years (for 2019) to become champion.

Richard Carapaz (Giro d'Italia)

But, without a doubt, Ecuador lived a before and after starting from what happened in the last Tour of Italy with Richard Carapaz. The Carchi distilled caste and finesse on his bicycle to obtain the most important triumph of his career, of cycling in this country and also one of Latin America; taking it to be, in 102 years of Giro, the second rider of the continent to achieve the feat (Nairo Quintana had done it in 2015, also with the Movistar Team).

According to El Tiempo de Colombia, the victory of Carapaz did not lack anything. He was solid from the first day: he won on the fourth day in a spectacular way, he did not give important time in the time trial without being a specialist, he also beat in the first stage of high mountain, moment from which he took on pink jersey to devote himself until the last day of ratifying his power printing advantage day by day on his closest persecutors.

Although, although it is true that Carapaz's future will not be clear, it is likely that with his only 26 years he will aspire to crown another great one, why not this year in the Tour of Spain en la who already confirmed will participate?

LatinAmerican Post | Onofre Zambrano

Translated from "¡Richard Carapaz! Un hito más del deporte ecuatoriano"