Guayaquil in Ecuador this weekend hosts the 52nd edition of the South American Championship in the Senior category.
After more than half a century - the previous time was in Quito 1969 - Ecuador receives the highest athletics competition.
In the morning of today Saturday 29 May (local time; in the early afternoon European time) the South American Championship was kicked off at the Alberto Spencer Stadium in Guayaquil (Ecuador) with the women's race (20.000m track walk).
These South American Championships presented this big difference with those taking place in Europe and Asia: they often take place, regardless of distance, with track walk.
20.000m track walk women
And it was a local athlete, the promising walker Glenda Estefanía Morejón (ECU), the author of the first success of this year events.
Glenda got the better of the women's walk of 20.000m in 1:29:24.61, which represents the new South American absolute record.
She improved the previous record, as well as the U23 one and the championship record that belonged to her compatriot Karla Jaramillo (ECU) who had obtained it on 25.5.2019 in Lima (PER), when she had also won this gold medal with 1:30:52.0h.
Glenda Morejon, who tomorrow will celebrate her 21 years, also holds the South American (and U20 world) record of 20km on the road with 1:25:29 obtained in her debut in La Coruña in the fantastic race of 8.6.2019 when she managed to defeating the two world records holder women: Liu Hong (third on that occasion) the current holder and Yang Jiayu (second on that occasion) who is waiting to see her performance in Huangshan this year ratified.
The silver medal in 1:30:51.97 went to another great walker, the Brazilian Erica Rocha de Sena, fourth at the last World Championships in Doha 2019 after the trio of Chinese, whose mark of 1:30:52 represents Brazil's record in this 20.000m track walk.
For the beautiful Brazilian a great improvement on the distance on the track from 1:35:29.6 which dates back to 5.6.2011 established in San Paulo (BRA)
Finally, bronze for another Ecuadorian: Maritza Janeth Guamán (ECU) who finished in 1:32:46.25. Also for her a great improvement on the distance on the track from 1:38:57.0h which dates back to 29.6.2012 established in San Paulo (BRA)
We like to point out that, since women started competing in the 20km distance (or 20.000m on track) in 1999, Glenda Morejon’s victory represents the fifth victory for Ecuador.
Here is the roll of honor:
1999 Bogotá: Miriam Ramón ECU 1:39:27.0
2001 Manaus: Geovanna Irusta BOL 1:41:43.4
2003 Barquisimeto: Sandra Zapata COL 1:40:52.6
2005 Cali: Sandra Zapata COL 1:40:54.2
2006 Tunja: Yadira Guamán ECU 1:46:06.7
2007 Sao Paulo: Sandra Zapata COL 1:37:46.0
2009 Lima: Johana Ordóñez ECU 1:34:57.9
2011 Buenos Aires: Ingrid Hernández COL 1:32:09.4
2013 Cartagena: Sandra Lorena Arenas COL 1:37:46.2
2015 Lima: Sandra Lorena Arenas COL 1:31:02.3
2017 Asunción: Paola Bibiana Pérez ECU 1:32:26.0
2019 Lima: Karla Johana Jaramillo ECU 1:30:52.0
2021 Guayaquil: Glenda Estefanía Morejón ECU 1:29:24.61