Perez is back at the top of the world

2002 was a crucial year for Jefferson Pérez, the 1996 Olympic 20km Race walking champion. The Ecuadorian's victory over that distance on the streets of Turin at the 20th IAAF World Race Walking Cup in October, capped his first full year of competition since returning from nine months of premature retirement - between the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton - and re-established Perez on top of the world of Race Walking.

Perez, who had been a World Junior champion for the 10,000m walk in 1992, won the 1996 Olympic 20km gold medal to become the youngest ever Olympic Race Walking champion and Ecuador’s first Olympic medallist at any sport. The following year he took the IAAF World Race Walking Cup title and in 1999 a silver medal at the World Championships.

However, after a brave attempt to defend his Olympic title in Sydney, where he finished fourth, he retired from the sport, going home to Cuenca with the goal of finishing his university studies in Business Administration. This he duly did, completing his degree in June 2001 but then immediately began to reflect on his retirement from Race Walking, and decided to reverse his decision shortly afterwards. A semi race fit Perez quickly returned to take eighth place at the 2001 World Championships.

“In 2000 I had decided to finish my career, but by June of the next year, I saw that Ecuador was still lacking a good representative in the walks. That’s what motivated me to return. It has taken me a full year to get back to the level where I want to be at.”

“At the beginning of this season, the idea was to compete in a limited number of events, basically to avoid saturation, both physically and mentally. The main goal of 2002 was the World Race Walking Cup, and that triumph was something very special for me.”

“This year I started without a coach. I basically trained by myself, even though I’m not a coach or a person with a degree in physical education. That’s a very odd situation for someone who wants to be a top athlete, but I wanted to try it anyway. I wanted to be at a top level, and with the assistance of Enrique Peña, my former coach, and a great friend, took up that challenge.”

“After all the titles and medals I have won, I still have goals to reach and to find excellence. That’s what I’m working for. I’m just focusing on training well and not specifically trying to win a title or to improve a record. Now my next 2 goals are the 2003 World Championships and the 2004 Olympic Games, and I intend to get there at the top of my form."

“Many people ask me where I find my inspiration, who has been my role model. That person is and has been my mother. She is totally blind, but in spite of that, she has been able to raise 5 children, and I’m very proud to be her son.”

“I haven’t had all resources to be at the top, but I have never quit dreaming. It doesn’t matter if you come from a “poor” country. Sometimes people in general have to stop complaining, and give their best effort to get to the places where each one wants to be. That’s my advice.”

“My competitive 2002 season started in Mexico, at the International Race Walk Week. Mexico has always been a very special place for me, ever since 1996. Every time I compete there I feel at home, and I have lots of supporters. With the Mexican walkers I also have a great rivalry. That event in Zapopan was basically a test for me, and went well, so it gave me a whole lot of confidence for the rest of the season.”

Then I competed in Guatemala in May, and won the Ibero-American title, and after that, I went to Europe. At the 20k in Eisenhüttenstadt (Germany), I was ready for a better time, but the weather wasn’t perfect for that. My time was 1:19:08, which is a good time, but honestly, I was expecting something faster, even though it was only the fourth time I have been able to go below the 1:20 barrier.”

“At the World Cup, some people said that some of the best walkers were not present. Among them was “Paquillo” (Francisco Javier) Fernández, who in April set the World Best at 20K, with 1:17:22, and then won the European title in Munich. I respect him very much. He is a good friend and a great athlete, but to me, the World Cup was the most important event of the year, and I was set to perform there.”

“At this point (in my career), I share Korzeniowski’s thought, who just said that he only has 100K of competition left in his career at 50km walking. In terms of (20km walk) at the Paris World Championships, and the Athens Olympics, I approach these competitions in a similar manner. I want to concentrate on these main events, and that’s what I also did in 2002.”

“For 2003 my priorities are very specific. It’s going to be a very tough year, but I don’t want to take any chances. Unfortunately, we have the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, only 13 days before the World Championships, and my priority for 2003 is Paris.”

“If everything goes well, I can see myself going for another 2-3 years after Athens, which is obviously the next goal after Paris. If I’m emotionally in good shape, I know that my body will allow me to keep going.”

Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF

Jefferson Pérez’s season
At 20K Walk
1:21:33 3 IRWW Zapopan 22.03
1:23:51.0 1 IbAm C. de Guatemala 11.05
1:19:08 1 EAA Eisenhüttestadt 02.06
1:21:26 1 WCp Torino 12.10