Panamanians at the Paris Olympics

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Panamanian Gymnast Hillary Heron Made Her Dream Come True

Posted 28/07/2024

Panamanian gymnast Hillary Heron made her dream come true this Sunday, with a great performance in her debut at the Olympic Games, in the third subdivision of individual artistic gymnastics, at the Bercy Arena.  At Paris 2024, Heron looked captivating in a turquoise jersey, wearing number 375. She was joined by OK An Chang (North Korea), Luisa Blanco (Colombia) and Filipa Martins (Portugal). In the end, she would accumulate 50.765 points on the four apparatus and remains in sixth position in the vault, at the end of the first three subdivisions.  Additionally, Heron made history by becoming the first gymnast other than Simone Biles to do a Biles 1 at the Olympics.  The Isthmus native began her participation in the vault apparatus, third in the rotation, in which she performed twice in her quest to qualify for the final.

The 20-year-old Heron did a one-and-a-half-spin on the first attempt, while on the second she performed a Yurchenko. This performance earned her a score of 13.65.  “This is a dream come true, fulfilling Hillary’s dream of four years. I left to leave the country on a high note. I am excited about what is next in my career,” Heron said in an interview.  Next up, Heron performed on the uneven bars, finishing second in the group, looking confident and managing to perform well to earn a score of 11.766.  The third apparatus of the day for the Isthmus native was the balance beam. Heron looked very confident and calm in her performance. On this apparatus, Heron obtained a score of 12.160. 

The closing was monumental, on the floor apparatus, Hillary showed off all her elegance and majesty in the Bercy Arena. Heron used the “Biles” and with good lines throughout the performance. The judges gave her 13.033.  According to the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), Heron becomes the first gymnast other than Simone Biles to land a Biles 1 at the Olympic Games. There are still two subdivisions left to know the final results. Subdivision four is already active, while the fifth starts at 2:10 p.m.

Panamanian swimmer Emily Santos finished sixth in her heat at the Olympic Games

https://newsroompanama.com/news/panamanian-gymnast-hillary-heron-made-her-dream-come-true-sunday

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Panamanian Kristine Jimenez Made History Defeating Muna Dahouk in Paris

Posted 29/07/2024

Panamanian Kristine Jimenez made history with an excellent performance of achieving the first victory for Panamanian judo in the Paris 2024 Olympics.  The Isthmus native defeated the judoka from the refugee team Muna Dahouk by Ippon, in round of 32 of this competition.  “The first fight is very important, no matter whom it is.  I was very motivated by the first fight,” Jimenez told reporters.  The victory over Dahouk has a special significance in Jimenez's career, as it is her first triumph at the Olympic Games.  “It's history for us at the Olympic Games.  I'm going to keep preparing and give my best for Panama,” said Jiménez, who competed in Tokyo 2020, but in the 52-kilogram category.  “I feel proud to represent all Panamanians.

Jimenez did lose a fight against Canadian Christa Deguchi - the world number one - in the 57-kilogram category.  Jimenez, 28 years old, showed good skills, but was surprised by Deguchi, who took the victory by Ippon. "I couldn't win the second fight [against the Canadian].  I've been doing an indescribable job, I did the job and gave my best," she said.  The Canadian was superior... I was out of the competition, but I will take that experience with me,” she added. 

Jiménez took the opportunity to ask for more support for the different sports disciplines in the country.  “My teammates are looking forward to a new gym and good areas to train, especially in Veraguas,” he said.  "We have young people who are coming up through the ranks and who have the potential to make it to the Olympic Games. I would like them to support the athletes and for us to have the facilities," she said.  Jiménez arrived in Paris 2024 after having won the bronze medal at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, fifth place at the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador 2023 and fifth place at the South American Games in Asunción 2023.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panamanian-kristine-jimenez-made-history-defeating-muna-dahouk-in-paris

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Panama Athletes Compete This Weekend In Paris at the Olympic Games

Posted 02/08/2024

Panamanian athletes are ready to compete this weekend at the Olympic Games.  Arturo Deliser, Franklin Archibold, Gianna Woodruff and Atheyna Bylon will be in action in the second weekend at Paris 2024. The Panamanian delegation returns to action this weekend, with the participation of four athletes who will seek to leave an indelible mark on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.  The first to enter into activity will be the sprinter Arturo Deliser, when this Saturday, August 3, he participates in the 100-meter flat race. His competition is scheduled for 3:00 a.m.  The man from Colon is part of heat 6, in which he will compete against Beppe Grillo (Malta), Dylan Sicobo (Seychelles), Wissy Frank Hoye (Gabon), Waisake Tewa (Fiji), Lisse Jalen (Suriname), Imranur Rahman (Bangladesh) and Muhd Ar-Rasyid (Brunei). 

Deliser has a personal best of 10.4 seconds, although his best time this season was 10.18 seconds. This tall 1.95-meter-tall runner is ranked 185th in the world.  Deliser, 27, was a semi-finalist in the 100-meter dash at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. He is also the current Central American National Champion in the fourth edition of the Paulista Open Circuit.  Cyclist Franklin Archibold will also be present this Saturday in the road cycling race, which covers a distance of 273 kilometers. The actions will start at 4:00 p.m.  The Chiriquí native is part of a group of 90 athletes of various nationalities, including representatives from the Netherlands, Ecuador, Belgium, Slovakia, Spain, Denmark, Italy, France, Great Britain, the United States, Australia, Colombia, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Portugal, New Zealand, Ireland, Austria, Poland, Canada, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Greece.  Archibold comes to this race after having won the 2024 Central American Road Championship and long distance race of the Central American Road Championship. The Isthmus native also finished in tenth position in the road race at the 2024 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Boxer Atheyna Bylon took a 4-1 victory in the 75 kilogram category at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.  Bylon, with her victory, advances to the quarterfinals, where she will face the Polish Elizbieta Wojcik, who defeated the favorite, O' Rourke of Ireland, in her fight. The fight between Bylon and the Polish Wojcik will be this Sunday, in an elimination round that begins at 9:15 am.  By placing among the top eight in her category, Bylon is entitled to an Olympic diploma, a feat she achieved at the last games held in Tokyo 2020.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-athletes-compete-this-weekend-in-paris-at-the-olympic-games

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Atheyna Bylon of Panama Has Secured a Medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics

Posted 04/08/2024

Panama's Atheyna Bylon has secured a medal by qualifying for the semi-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Why is this happening?  To answer this question, we must go back to the 1948 London Olympics, when a bronze medal match was last contested.  It turns out that boxing, at that time, was scheduled for the last days of the competition, which meant that the fights were fought with little time for rest.  This caused boxers who lost in the semi-finals to arrive physically and emotionally depressed, to the point that several fights could not be held due to the athletes' decision.  For the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, it was decided to eliminate the bronze medal, so only gold and silver medals were awarded in this discipline. This caused anger among several boxers, who pointed out that their efforts were not recognized.  Thus, the International Olympic Committee established for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games that two bronze medals would be awarded to the losers of the semi-finals. This measure was also adopted by other combat sports, such as judo, taekwondo, Greco-Roman wrestling and even karate, which was active in Tokyo 2020.  President Mulino of Panama called Bylon by cell phone and offered his congratulations directly.

 

Gianna Woodruff will have another date in France when she competes in the repechage round of the women's 400m hurdles at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.  After placing fifth in Heat 2 in the first round , Woodruff advanced to this round, which consists of three heats of seven athletes each, for a total of 21 competitors.  The Panamanian will be in the second lane of Series 2 and her goal is to be among the first two places to access the semifinals.  Date:  Monday, August 5, 2024  Estimated time: 3:50 am (Panama time)

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/atheyna-bylon-of-panama-has-secured-a-medal-at-the-paris-2024-olympics-1

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Hillary Heron the Panamanian Artistic Gymnast - 2024 Paris Olympics

Posted 06/08/2024

Latina athletes have undoubtedly made their mark on the sports world.  Hillary Alexandra Heron Soto is a Panamanian artistic gymnast. She is the 2023 South American champion and the 2021 Pan American silver medalist on vault.  She represented Panama at the 2024 Summer Olympics and Made History at World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and performed one of the most difficult vaults named after world-famous gymnast Simon Biles, during her floor exercise. Heron is now the first non-U.S. athlete to land the double layout with a half twist and the first gymnast in history other than Biles to perform it in a FIG international competition.  “Well, like I grew up watching her, so it’s like mind-blowing and I’m just so honored to be able to do this. Like, I remember seeing her when she created the skill and I was like, oh my God, how is that possible?” she said in an interview. “When my coach told me, like, okay, we’re gonna try the Biles, I was like what’s he thinking? But like, I actually tried and it went well and it’s actually a very fun skill to try and I’m very honored to be able to do it.”  She is the only woman after Simone Biles to perform Biles I.  Hillary Heron in action: https://hiplatina.com/hillary-heron-makes-history/

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/hillary-heron-the-panamanian-artistic-gymnast-2024-paris-olympics

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Atheyna Bylon from Panama Wins the Silver Medal in Boxing at Paris Olympics

Posted 10/08/2024

The fight was decided as a  split decision, where Panama's Bylon tried to use her agility to gain an advantage, but she could not overcome China's Qian's efficient defense, neutralizing each of her attacks.  Panamanian boxer Atheyna Bylon finished her performance this Saturday, August 10, with a silver medal, losing to China's Li Qian in the 75-kilogram final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.  Bylon faced a tough but even fight against Qian, both of equal height 5'10" and with similar arm reach.  After three rounds, the judges determined that Qian was the winner of this fight, with a score of 4-1 but a split decision.  In the end, the judges scored 28-29, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28. Only the first judge, German Susann Kopke, saw Bylon as the winner.  “I have a medal for my country, and that counts, so I am happy,” Bylon said in an interview.  "I should celebrate, but sometimes you set goals for yourself.  I'm happy, but a little sad about the result," she added.  Atheyna Bylon becomes the first female Panamanian athlete to win an Olympic medal. In addition, it is the first medal for Panamanian amateur boxing. With this medal, she joins Lloyd LaBeach and Irving Saladino as the only athletes from the Isthmus to win a medal at the Olympic Games.

Meet China's Li Qian Who Fought and Beat Atheyna Bylon of Panama 4-1

The gold medal match in the 75-kilogram category of women's boxing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was a duel between two experienced boxers.  This fight was between the Panamanian Atheyna Bylon (35 years old) and the Chinese Li Qian (34 years old).  Boxer Li Qian is an Olympic and world medalist.  She won bronze at the 2016 Rio Games and then silver at Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic).  In addition, the Asian has won bronze medals at the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi, silver at Jeju 2014 and gold at New Delhi 2018.  She also has two gold medals and one silver medal at the Asian Championships. “Without boxing, I don’t know what would become of my life. I first came into contact with boxing when I was 17,” Li said in an interview published by the Olympic Games organizers.  Li said that women's boxing is not accepted by her parents, something that has caused some unpleasant moments in her family.  “My parents thought boxing was too violent. I tried very hard to convince my parents and they finally gave me their permission.”  Li, who is 1.80 meters tall (5'10"), like Bylon, came into the fight for the gold medal after three victories.  China's Li Quian won the gold medal 4-1 against Panama's Atheyna Bylon.  

Atheyna Bylon, pictured above, grew up in San Miguelito, Panama City, with her grandmother, mother and sister. At the age of 15, they moved to Tocumen, where she lives to this day. When she came of age, she saw an advertisement on television requesting police officers and told her mother that she wanted to apply.  When she joined the Panamanian National Police she never thought about being a boxer, but at the age of 25 she began to practice and almost four years later she managed to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.  She also participated in the 2020 Tokyo Games, and after obtaining the silver medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago Chile, she qualified for Paris.  Since early 2024, she has been training full-time for these Games, and says she receives full support from the Panama national police. After her return to Panama with a silver medal, she returns to her job as a police officer. You will see Atheyna leading the November freedom from Colombia and Spain parades in Panama .

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/atheyna-bylon-from-panama-wins-the-silver-medal-in-boxing-at-paris-olympics-1