Diego Elías near the top of squash: Are there more Peruvians among the best in the world in their sports?

The four Olympic diplomas obtained in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics They aroused enthusiasm, but they also sowed doubt. How much can we compete for a world podium in the near future? Although it is not an Olympic sport, what has been achieved by Diego Elijah, in squash, it is proof that our compatriots can be elite athletes with dedication and persistence. Elías (8 in the world squash ranking) was crowned champion of the Qatar QTerminals Classic 2021 by beating New Zealander Paul Coll (third in the ranking). Without a doubt, our compatriot will climb positions and will soon be a world top five. There is a list that is growing with Peruvians in the top positions of the world ranking, in different disciplines.

After several years playing different international tournaments, Elías, 24, achieved yesterday one of the main results of his career. “I am very happy to be a platinum champion for the first time. I have been trying for a long time, so I am very happy. This tournament is always the best, they treat us very well, it is incredible to be the champion here “Elías said after receiving his trophy.

Being a top ten is already a merit, however, Elías has no ceiling and every week he continues to bring us good news. “By beating Coll, Diego could get into the top five in the world. How many Peruvians have climbed that much? His growth has been sustained since his titles in the youth world championships. Now he is working on the mental and hopefully he can be number one in the ranking soon. The age factor is another advantage for him “Ricardo Montoya, a columnist for this newspaper and one of those who most follow Elías’ international career, responds to us.

—The Olympic plan—

The Tokyo Olympic Games confirmed that there are compatriots with a lot of medal projection and the IPD is attentive to that. Therefore, for the Olympic cycle heading to Paris 2024, the policy of intensive support to athletes who are obtaining better results will be maintained. “We have to prepare our elite for the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023, because they are qualifying events for Paris 2024”, he replied to this newspaper Gustavo San Martin, president of the IPD.

The Olympic diplomas did not come by chance. The four Peruvian athletes who stayed close to the top positions are also on the top lists of their respective sports. Alexandra Grande (seventh in Tokyo), for example, is in position 13 of the world ranking of karate in kumite (-61 kilos). The 31-year-old two-time Pan-American champion has been in that upper zone of the individual classification for several years.

With 22 years, the skater Angelo Caro it is very promising. Today he is ranked 16th in the skateboarding ranking, although his fifth position in Tokyo allows predicting a gradual rise in the near future.

In shooting, it is already part of history to always have representatives at the top of each ranking. Today, Nicolas Pacheco (27 years old and eighth in Tokyo) is the 12th place in the skeet modality ranking. The other diploma winner was the surfer Lucca Mesinas (fifth in Tokyo), who is precisely fighting to get into the Word Surf League.

Marko carrillo It is another exponent of shooting that remains among the best as it is in position 9 in the world ranking of the 25-meter rapid pistol. In case of Juan Pablo Varillas it is also to give you a lot of follow-up. The first national racket lost to Sebastián Báez, in the quarterfinals of the Challenger in Buenos Aires, however his rhythm in the ATP ranking continues to rise (today he is ranked 129 ATP. “Being in a top 100 of the professional tennis ranking is like being in a top ten of other sports”, answers Patrick Espejo, director of the Diario Récord and specialist in the sports center.

In all this count of top Peruvians, there is one who has already reached the top. The parataekwondista Angelica Espinoza he won the gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics (-49 kg K44 mode). With this, Espinoza also secured first place in the ranking. Another para-athlete who has remained in the upper zone of his parasport is Efraín Sotacuro. The Peruvian ranked seventh in the T46 Paralympic marathon. His ranking today is the same. There are three years until Paris 2024. It is important to know in advance our first letters. There is reason to believe that in the City of Light the podium will be illuminated with the colors white and red.

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