He swimmer from Santa Cruz Esteban Núñez del Prado made his debut at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, becoming the first Bolivian representative in taking action at the Olympic event. This event, which took place in the Thursday morning marked a milestone in his sporting career. Núñez del Prado, who holds the national record in the 200 meters combinedcame to the competition with the hope of improving himself and leaving a mark on Bolivian swimming.
The 200 meter medley event is considered one of the more complex in swimming, since it combines the butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle styles. Esteban was the first of the four Bolivian athletes to compete, thus opening the national participation in the Olympic Games. In his heat, he faced the Paraguayan Matheo Mateos and to Seychellois Simon Bachmann, who also sought to excel in this demanding test.
Since the beginning of the competition, Núñez del Prado showed promising performance. In the first 50 metersswimming butterfly, achieved a time of 26.19 seconds, placing themselves in the lead. However, as the race progressed, began to lose rhythm, especially in the backstroke, where Paraguayan Mateos began to take advantage. Despite his efforts, the Bolivian swimmer could not maintain his position and finished in third place.
The swimmer from Santa Cruz He finished the heat with a time of 2 minutes, 8 seconds and 10 hundredths, which did not allow him to qualify among the top 16 times to advance to the semi-finals. The heat was won by Matheo Mateos, who set a time of 2:03.45followed by Simon Bachmann with 2:06.48.
Despite the disappointment of not managing to break her national record of 2:04.56, Núñez del Prado has his sights set on the future. At just 20 years old, the man from Santa Cruz is considered an athlete with great potential and is preparing for future competitions, including the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Other Bolivians in action
Guadalupe Torrez (Santa Cruz), will compete on August 2 at 04:35 HB in the preliminary round of the Women’s 100m dashTorrez holds the national record with a time of 11″57, set in April of this year, and will seek to improve his mark and advance in the competition. Like Núñez del Prado, Torrez received an invitation to participate in the Games, which underlines his talent and effort in athletics.
He August 3rd It will be the turn of the Bolivian swimmer and flag bearerMaria Jose Ribera, (Santa Cruz) who will compete in the 50 meters freestyle at 05:00 HB. With a time of 25″73 in this event, Ribera has set several national records throughout his career, consolidating himself as one of the most promising figures in aquatic sports in Bolivia. His participation in the Olympic Games is a significant milestone in his career, and he hopes to take advantage of this opportunity to shine on the international stage.
Finally, the Oruro long-distance runner and flag bearerHector Garibay, He will be the last Bolivian to compete, participating in the Men’s marathon on August 10 at 02:00 HB. Garibay qualified for Paris with an impressive time of 2h07’44”, achieved at the Seville Marathon, Spain, in 2023. This time places him among the best long-distance runners in the region, and his participation in the Olympic Games represents an opportunity to prove his worth and fight for a medal.
