Diego Elías: from world number 1 to gold in Santiago 2023: this is the best year for the two-time Pan American champion

It is not easy to compete with all eyes on you, but close to turning 27, Diego Elías has battled thousands of situations. He has managed to be number one in a discipline that is little practiced in Peru and above all, he has known how to shake off the pressure so that he can achieve achievements.

Yesterday he had a day in which a shake-up has to happen for him to shine. He easily won the semifinals against the Mexican Leonel Cárdenas (11-3, 11-2 and 11-5), but in the final he had to beat the Colombian Miguel Rodríguez, the same one against whom he lost in Toronto, the one he won in Lima . A duel of the two best regional exponents of this sport.

And it was 11-4, 7-11, 11-5 and 11-4 to take the title. He gave up a set, perhaps because of the pressure he himself accepted under Holm. “It’s incredible to win this gold. Nobody can imagine the pressure I had this whole week, being a champion is incredible,” said the Peruvian after the match.

“Being able to represent Peru is something incredible, it’s great and a responsibility too, that’s why I always do my best everywhere to raise the name of Peru,” he told us recently in an interview. In Santiago his feelings were very clear.

And yes, it is incredible what a year it has been for Diego. Last April, the Peruvian became number 1 in the squash ranking of the PSA (Professional Squash Association), a unique achievement for a Pan-American athlete in this discipline. For a month and a half he was the best player on the planet. He now marches in the second box, in a constant fight with the Egyptian Ali Farag for the center.

An unforgettable year for him, because in 2023 it was confirmed that squash will be Olympic in Los Angeles 1928, so his course will now have the Games as its goal. As he confessed to El Comercio, he hopes to play for ten more years at the highest level, and with yesterday’s gold, he shows that not even the pressure will knock him down.

“If everything goes well, I will reach the age of 37-38. More than ten, but you never know. I hope it continues like this. The whole sport has changed, you see much bigger players who are at the top and that is my goal, to try to be at the top until I no longer have the body. Hopefully it will be about ten more years”, he explained to us about what he thinks about his future.

And he is a two-time Pan American Champion, as are figures of our sport such as Cristhian Pacheco, Natalia Cuglievan and Alexandra Grande, a karate fighter who will go for the ‘Tri’ in Santiago.

Diego has reached that level and Peru celebrates it and hopes to have the ‘Peruvian Puma’ devouring medals for much longer. And soon, better, since today he begins his journey in doubles with Alonso Escudero and on the weekend he competes in teams.

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