The national athlete set a national and Central American record, according to the Guatemalan Olympic Committee (COG), after this participation in which Ugandan first place winner, Joshua Cheptigye, the world record holder who clocked 12:58:15.
Luis Miguel Grijalva Morales, 22, finished his first Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020 in 12th place in the 5000m final with a time of 13:10.09.
The national athlete has set a new national and Central American record, according to the Guatemalan Olympic Committee (COG), after this participation in which Ugandan top-ranked Joshua Cheptegye, the world record holder, clocked 12:58:15.
Additionally, according to COG, he has made the mark for the World Athletics Championships to be held in Oregon in 2022.
The athlete, who was born in Guatemala, but when he was one year old his parents immigrated to the United States, left happy from the very beginning of his career. It wasn’t for less. He managed to make history for the nation he decided to represent by advancing to the 5000m final.
Guatemala had not been represented in this discipline since the 1980s and Grijalva arrived to leave with his head held high, Above all, impose a new national and centrist brand. In the first 1000 metres, Luis Grijalva timed 2:39.9 and walked 12th; Whereas in the 2000s, the time was 5:16.3 (14). In 3000 the time was 7: 56.6 (14), in 4000, 10: 34.9 (11) and in 5000, the final, his time was 13: 10.0. It ranked 12 out of 16.
With this result, Grijalva surpassed the record that he himself had set in a previous competition. The Guatemalan athlete witnessed elite athletes such as Chepetegui who won the gold medal, as well as Mohamed Ahmed from Canada with the silver medal and Paul Chilimo with the bronze.
On August 3, Grijalva Morales, 22, began writing his story by qualifying for the first time in the event for an Olympic final. Grijalva Morales, who belongs to the Deferred Action for Children’s Arrivals (DACA) program, made that day in qualifying for the Series 2 of the 5000m of the Tokyo Olympics to advance to the final.
The athlete qualified for Tokyo 2020 during the NCAA Outdoor and Faithful Athletics Championships, in Oregon (13:13.14). This time was exceeded by Grijalva today by stopping the clock at 13:10.09.
In this final, as in the preliminary round, Grijalva had a heart attack that now allows him to sign for a new gold ring in Guatemalan sports.
#Rito Tokyo
Stunning scenery! ?Olympic Stadium #Tokyo 2020 Ready to receive Luis Grijalva in the 5000m final?#PassionForGuatemala #OurMetaLosValores #sports pic.twitter.com/EBZ5WZv0Bj
– COG (COGuatemalteco) August 6, 2021
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