Hugo Ruiz Calle: Why is the Peruvian cyclist’s gold in Santiago 2023 historic and a “reason for pride”? | DT SURVEY

What was achieved on Tuesday, October 24, by the Peruvian athlete Hugo Ruiz Calle in the sport of track cycling (omnium test) after achieving the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023, it is a fact to highlight and value. This after raising the name of Peru, then – which will register a score of 125 points in the four discipline competitions, surpassing by one point the Mexican Ricardo Peña who had to be content with the silver medal, on the other hand, closed Chilean Jacob Decar took the podium with 121 units.

This sport also grants points for the Olympic ranking for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which is why we are looking for journalists specialized in sports to answer us about the magnitude of this achievement by Hugo Ruiz Calle. Why is Hugo Ruiz’s cycling gold for Peru historic?

Daniella Fernández – Movistar Sports

“In fact, Hugo Ruiz with this gold medal is historic, in track cycling, in the omnium event, because in fact, never before, no cyclist had achieved a gold medal. Historically, at the first Pan American Games in 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Peru achieved a bronze medal in an event that was the individual pursuit. Likewise, in Lima 2019, a bronze medal was also achieved, but it was in Olympic speed. So, Hugo, a native of Piura, is historic because he is the first gold medalist, since that achievement had never been achieved before, especially since there are four events that compete on the same day. It seems to me that what Hugo has done is very valuable, I think it is a moment of pride for all Peruvians, in addition, it is the second gold medal in the Peruvian delegation of Santiago 2023 and despite on a personal basis, we had not followed the race of Hugo until before these Pan American Games, but the achievement he has achieved for him and Peru is very important.”

Patrick Espejo – Diario Record

“It is historic, not only was it not in the initial forecast and he did it by climbing up positions, because at the end of the first test he was in 11th place in the omnium, in which they run between 40 to 60 kilometers. It is the first gold medal in the history of cycling and the 21st for Peru in the Pan American Games since 1951. The day was spectacular”

Margarita Rivera Monforte – Director Elpoli.pe

“It is an unprecedented triumph. It is the first time that Peru has achieved a gold medal in the Pan American Games in this modality. Without a doubt, an achievement that allows Peruvian cycling to return to the international summit and greatly improves the performance developed in Lima 2019, where the speed team added bronze. In history, Peru had only achieved two bronze medals in the Games.”

Erick Garay – Elpoli.pe

“The achievement achieved by Hugo Ruíz in Santiago is truly historic, because in the entire history of the Games in cycling, Peru had only achieved two bronze medals. The first was in the Buenos Aires 1951 edition thanks to Hugo Llerena from Arequipa, he got that bronze medal in track mode, in the 4000 thousand meter individual pursuit and the last bronze medal, also at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. in track cycling in team speed. That time the Peruvian team was made up of Francis Cachique, Robinson Ruíz and Rubén Salinas. Those two bronze medals had been the only ones that Peru had been achieving in the history of Cycling in the Pan American Games and Hugo Ruiz’s gold medal and the way in which he achieved it is historic, because it is the first gold in the history of Panamerican games”.

Gustavo Matus – President of the Cycling Federation

“It’s incredible to just hear that it is historic. The commitment that Hugo has had to achieve that achievement has a lot to do with it. I hope this serves as an example for many youth runners and they see that this is possible, and move forward. I believe that it will help the growth of the discipline and an idol always helps the development of the sport. We hope to get more funds to be able to better prepare the track, we are pursuing a track massification plan that until now we could not present because we did not have a base and now we are going to present it to get funds.”

And well. It seems that his career is just beginning. To be attentive.