Luis Ostos It is an example of struggle and perseverance. At the age of 29, the national athlete celebrates the gold medal on average marathon Ibero-Americans 2022 in Alicante, Spain after overcoming a tough childhood of drug terrorism. Today he is preparing his debut at the XIX Bolivarian Games 2022 in Valledupar and La República spoke to him.
-You had a difficult childhood.
− I suffered from drug terrorism since I was a child when we lived in Uchiza (San Martín), these experiences separated my family. We left this place and drove to Huánuco via Marañón and from there to Huacho. The reason to leave Uchiza was the danger, we lived in the mountains, in the hamlet, and we were vulnerable to drug terrorist attacks. I remember when I was a child a group of armed people would come and break into the nests to steal the chickens and the young, we would hear gunshots and we lived in a conflict area. It was terrible.
− Did you also have difficult years due to injury?
− Three months before Lima 2019 I had surgery on my left knee, I was absent and in 2020 she PandemicI’ve been back since last year, this year with even more energy.
YOU CAN SEE: Bolivarian Games Valledupar 2022: on top of the podium
−How can the rhythm be resumed after an operation?
− This is the life of a high-performance athlete. Here you have to have the mentality, the courage, the resilience, try to stand out. I was the favorite to win gold in Lima 2019, it was too painful a situation for me. I had to get strong, overcome the problem, because I wanted to bring joy to my country in my own country. Fate wanted it to be in another country.
− The pandemic was also a hard blow.
− I started learning English and doing exercises with my own weight. The pandemic was right in my recovery phase, so it was favorable for me. Otherwise I would have started in full evolution, I’m stubborn.
− Did that make you look for the classification of the Bolivarianos de Valledupar?
− I asked the federation’s technical department to send me to Alicante because I had to do a grade to qualify for Valledupar. I was only able to sleep there for three hours before the competition. I went out with everything to make a mark, that was my intention. In my head they were Bolivarians.
Peru has at the XIX. Added several medals to the edition of the Bolivarian Games. Photo: Composition LR/Twitter Legacy
YOU CAN SEE: Peru added another 3 gold medals at the 2022 Bolivarian Games
− Something unprecedented happened at the Iberoamerican Half Marathon, right?
– The first Ecuadorian had cut off the road. It was unethical of him. They didn’t even count him from the middle of the race, they didn’t take him into account anymore. The judges claimed he set up three or four roadblocks. I was happy with the silver but in the end they gave me the gold. I came looking for copper and found gold.
− How did you prepare for Valledupar?
− I trained in the Sacred Valley in Cusco. I didn’t know him before, only from stories. It is an ideal place to train long distances and the altitude is ideal to stimulate your body in the best possible way. If a camp were set up there, even Europeans and Americans would go.
YOU CAN SEE: Ana Karina Mendez wins the gold medal at the 2022 Bolivarian Games
− After the Bolivarians, what’s next for you?
− In the short term, Odesur is coming to Asunción, also with a focus on the Pan American Games in Santiago, where I have to win gold. Qualify in the marathon for the Olympic Games in Paris. The transition from the 5 km and 10 km run to the half marathon and marathon was successful. I condition myself very well for long distances.
Morales gave gold to Peru in Bolivarianos
Peruvian Cristian Morales Bustos won the gold medal at the Valledupar Bolivarian Games by taking first place in rifle 3 positions over 50 meters in sport shooting. Morales took first place with 571 points, winning the 16th gold medal for the Peruvian delegation. For his part, Marko Carrillo took third place and won the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol category.