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 was really good at the 20-kilometer race walk event. He made history by winning the first two Olympic medals ever for his country!
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jefferson Pérez was born in El Vecino, an old neighborhood in Cuenca. His parents were Manuel Jesús Pérez and María Lucrecia Quezada. His family didn't have much money, like many others in their neighborhood.
He went to Eugenio Espejo and Gabriela Cevallos elementary schools. Later, he attended Francisco Febres Cordero high school. At the same time, he worked hard to help his family. He studied Business Engineering and also earned a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Azuay in Ecuador.
How He Started Race Walking
Jefferson Pérez started race walking by chance! He needed to prepare for a race walk that was part of a high school physical education exam. He asked his brother, Fabián, to train with a group of athletes led by coach Luis Muñoz.
Coach Muñoz saw his talent and invited him to compete in a race. After only a few weeks of training, Jefferson won the AID race. This win allowed him to represent Ecuador in New York City and London as a sports ambassador.
At first, he competed in shorter races, about six kilometers long. Then, he decided to focus completely on race walking. His first big win was a regional trophy in the 5 km walk. This happened during the South American Pre-Junior championship in his hometown of Cuenca.
His first international medal was a bronze. He won it 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 races in South American and Pan-American competitions.
Olympic Games Achievements
Jefferson Pérez won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. This made him the youngest Olympic race walk champion ever! After his amazing win, he went on a long journey. He walked, jogged, and ran 459 km (285 mi) from Quito to his hometown of Cuenca.
He won another 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 won a silver medal at the 1999 World Championships in Seville.
He then achieved something incredible! He won three gold medals in a row at the World Championships. These wins were in Paris (2003), Helsinki (2005), and Osaka (2007). He is the only person to ever do this!
In 2003, his winning time of 1:17:21 became the first official world record for the 20 km walk. This happened when new rules for road events were set in 2004. He even received a special bonus for his record.
Retirement from Sport
Jefferson Pérez competed in his last race at the World Race Walking Challenge final in Murcia, Spain. He finished third in that race. He also placed second in the overall challenge standings for that year.
He officially announced his retirement from the sport in 2008.
Personal Best Times
Jefferson Pérez set some impressive personal best times in his career:
- 10 km road walk: 38 minutes and 24 seconds in Kraków, Poland, on June 8, 2002.
- 20 km road walk: 1 hour, 17 minutes, and 21 seconds in Paris Saint-Denis, France, on August 23, 2003.
- 50 km road walk: 3 hours, 53 minutes, and 4 seconds in Athens, Greece, on August 27, 2004.
- 10,000 m track walk: 38 minutes and 37.6 seconds in Bergen, Norway, on May 9, 1998.
- 20,000 m track walk: 1 hour, 20 minutes, and 54.9 seconds in Cali, Colombia, on July 5, 2008.
Images for kids
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Pérez in action in 2008
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Jefferson with the Ecuadorian flag.
See also
In Spanish: Jefferson Pérez para niños
