Athletics and diving add up to nine medals for Mexico at the Pan American Games.

▲ Race walkers Valeria Flores (left) and Ximena Serrano took first-place finishes in the 20,000 meters. Photo @COM_Mexico

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Tuesday, August 19, 2025, p. a11

The Mexican delegation collected nine medals yesterday at the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay, and remains in fourth place in the medal table with 76 medals.

Ximena Serrano won the gold medal in the 20,000-meter walk with a time of 1:31:40.01, a record for the continental competition, and secured her spot at the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima, while her compatriot Valeria Flores took the silver.

“I felt very good about the race. The weather was hot, but I liked it because it was cloudy at times. It was a race where my teammate Valeria and I applied a good strategy; I came in with the mentality that we could achieve it. When you're on the track, you see how you feel and analyze how the competition is unfolding to achieve the main goal of qualifying for the Pan American Games in Lima. I feel strong and happy. This 20,000-meter race is very intense, but I like the distance,” Serrano declared at the end of the race.

For years, Mexico has been known throughout multiple Olympic cycles for producing the world's best walkers, who have achieved outstanding results at each summer competition. Among its leading figures are José Pedraza, silver medalist in Mexico City in 1968; Daniel Bautista, gold medalist in Montreal in 1976; Raúl González, gold medalist in Los Angeles in 1984; and Ernesto Canto, gold medalist in Los Angeles.

However, the last Olympic medal won in this discipline was in Rio 2016, where María Guadalupe González won silver. Of Mexico's 11 medals in athletics at a summer event, 10 are in race walking.

“It was a tough competition because it was 50 laps. We tried not to get discouraged, and the results came as expected. It's the work we've been doing throughout the season, and this was the main objective, which gives me a lot of confidence to keep preparing every day. My teammates are an inspiration; it's a team that has a lot to give,” Flores commented.

The women's medals weren't the only ones Mexico received in athletics yesterday. Mariel Salazar won a silver medal in the 10,000 meters, while Luz Rocha took bronze in the same event. In addition, twins Iker and Ian Sánchez earned another silver medal and a bronze, respectively, in the 5,000 meters.

“I want to share this special moment with the entire country. We gave it our all. It was a good race, with great execution that allowed us to win a silver and a bronze. There's always a sense of calm. Having a role model is always good. It's easier to execute the plan if you see your brother pushing, and you're also ahead or behind. We helped each other. The difference was minimal in the race. We're people with the same talent and the same intention,” Iker said.

In diving, Kenny Zamudio took gold in the 10-meter platform, beating out Canadian Benjamin Tessier and Cuban Carlos Ramos, who joined him on the podium in second and third place, respectively.

Zamudio's medal is Mexico's third gold medal in diving, following those won by David Vázquez and Jesús Agúndez in the synchronized three-meter springboard, and by Mía and Lía Cueva in the same event. The twins earned a silver and bronze medal yesterday, respectively, on the one-meter springboard.

Mexico remains in fourth place in the medal table with 76 medals (18 gold, 29 silver, and the same number of bronze), behind leaders Brazil, Colombia, and the United States.

Emir Olivares and Ángeles Cruz

La Jornada Newspaper, Tuesday, August 19, 2025, p. a11

In light of the triumphs of Mexican athletes in various international competitions, President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her congratulations and highlighted the achievements of the national athletes.

“Congratulations to all the young people,” he said at yesterday’s morning press conference.

He highlighted the women's tochito team's victory over the United States to become two-time world champions, as well as the Rarámuri team's triumph in athletics in Canada.

The President noted that a Mexican delegation participated in various competitions in China and performed well.