Jefferson Pérez facts for kids
Pérez in action in 2008
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | Jeffi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1 July 1974 Cuenca, Azuay, Ecuador |
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| Alma mater | University of Azuay | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.67 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 60 kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Ecuador |
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| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Racewalking | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 21 September 2008 (age 34) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Olympic finals | 1996 Summer Olympics 2000 Summer Olympics 2004 Summer Olympics 2008 Summer Olympics |
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Medal record
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Jefferson Leonardo Pérez Quezada, born on July 1, 1974, is a famous retired race walker from Ecuador. He is best known for his amazing achievements in the 20-kilometer race walk event. He won the very first two Olympic medals for his home country, making history for Ecuador.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jefferson Pérez grew up in El Vecino, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Cuenca. His family, like many others in their area, did not have a lot of money. He went to Eugenio Espejo and Gabriela Cevallos for elementary school.
Later, he attended Francisco Febres Cordero high school. At the same time, he worked hard to help his family. He later earned a degree in Business Engineering and an MBA (Master in Business Administration) from the University of Azuay in Ecuador.
How His Career Started
Jefferson Pérez started race walking by chance. He needed to prepare for a walk that was part of a physical education exam in high school. He asked his brother, Fabián, to train with a group of athletes led by coach Luis Muñoz.
Coach Muñoz saw Jefferson's talent and invited him to compete in a race. After only a few weeks of training, Jefferson won the race. This win allowed him to represent Ecuador in New York City and London as a sports ambassador.
He first competed in shorter walking races, around six kilometers. Soon, he decided to focus completely on race walking. His first big win was a regional trophy in the 5 km walk. This happened in his hometown of Cuenca during the South American Pre-Junior championship.
His first international medal was a bronze at the Junior World Cup of Athletics in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in 1990. Two years later, he won the Junior World title in Seoul, Korea. After that, he won many more competitions in South America and the Pan-American Games.
Olympic Games Achievements
Jefferson Pérez made history at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. He won the gold medal in the 20 km race walk. This made him the youngest Olympic race walk champion ever! After his victory, he walked, jogged, and ran 459 kilometers from Quito to his hometown of Cuenca. This was a special journey to celebrate his win.
He won another Olympic medal, a silver, at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He also finished fourth in the 20 km walk at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
World Championships Success
Jefferson Pérez also had great success at the World Championships. He won a silver medal at the 1999 World Championships in Seville.
He then achieved something amazing: he won three gold medals in a row! These wins were from 2003 to 2007 at the World Championships in Paris, Helsinki, and Osaka. No other person has done this before in race walking.
In 2003, his winning time of 1:17:21 in the 20 km walk became the first official world record for this event. This was when new rules for road events were recognized.
Retirement from Sport
Jefferson Pérez walked his last race at the World Race Walking Challenge final in Murcia, Spain. He finished third in that race. He officially announced his retirement from the sport in 2008, after a very successful career.
See also
In Spanish: Jefferson Pérez para niños
