The Oruro long-distance runner Héctor Garibay completed the marathon (42 km) at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, crossing the finish line with a time of 2h15’54”. Although these were not the results he wanted, it was an outstanding performance and now he has his sights set on Los Angeles 2028.
“I started late in athletics, but I think I can make it to another Olympic Games,” Garibay told the media after finishing the competition, which he ran despite having a cold.
Garibay, 36 years old, was introduced to athletics only in 2019, when he was recovering from an injury in a football match and after only six years in the world of athletics he won the 2021 Buenos Aires Marathon, the 2023 Mexico City Marathon (with a record for the event included) and yesterday he competed against the elite of the world marathon and was among the top 60.
“I’m sad about the result. The goal was to fight for the top spots, to see how far we could hold out. I had the expectation of fighting among the top,” he said, adding that despite everything, it was satisfying to finish the competition.
“Crossing the finish line is very satisfying, now we have to raise our heads and prepare ourselves more and more every day. This gives us experience, we have to keep improving,” he said.
Garibay, who was on the verge of breaking down at the end of the competition because the last few months had not been easy, was surrounded by the affection of the Bolivian residents who came to Paris to cheer him on.
“You are a champion” and “Long live my country Bolivia” chanted the Bolivian residents, while they hugged and asked for photos and autographs from Garibay, who thanked the people for their affection.
“Step by step, I remembered all the Bolivians, and that makes me proud,” he said.
During the race, Garibay excited the entire country because in the first few kilometers he was one of the leaders of the competition.
According to official records of the Games, Garibay had his best position after passing the 10 kilometer mark, in which he finished fifth. After passing the 21 kilometers he was in 31st place, but after that he could not keep up with the speed of the leaders, especially on the slope that awaited them after the 30 kilometer mark, and finished 60th.
Garibay and the rest of the delegation plan to return to the country on August 12, and then begin planning their preparation for the 2028 Olympic Games.
The Oruro-born long-distance runner was the third Latin American after Chileans Carlos Diaz (53, 2h14’25”) and Hugo Catrileo (59, 2h15’44”). The winner of the marathon was Ethiopian Tamirat Tola (2h06’26”), with an Olympic record included.
Yesterday, the Deputy Minister of Sports, Karen Palenque, assured that “we as a State will embark on the new Olympic cycle with complete planning, to give our athletes full support.”
China on top
With one day remaining in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Chinese team returned to the top of the medal table with 39 golds, one more than the United States, which has a total of 122 medals.
During the penultimate day of the tournament, ‘Team USA’, packed with NBA stars, with Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant at the forefront, kissed its long-awaited gold medal after winning the basketball final against France (98 – 87), the host team, but it was not enough.
Spain won the Olympic gold in women’s water polo after beating Australia (9-11), with which Miki Oca’s team closes a circle after winning a World Cup, a European Championship and now an Olympic title.
Brazil and its ‘rainha’ Marta will have to wait at least four more years to win their first Olympic gold in women’s football. In Paris, Lindsey Horan’s Americans outdid the South Americans in terms of pragmatism. Mel Swanson gave the fifth gold medal to the US women’s football team, which also has four World Cups to its name. It couldn’t have been better.
