Latina Athletes Make History at the Paris Olympics

Latinas have not only been winning medals throughout the Paris Olympics, they’ve also been making history. Countries including Brazil, Mexico, and Guatemala have celebrated historic wins and it’s all because of Latina athletes proving their Olympic level skills. Superstar Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade has drawn comparisons to American gymnast and nine-time Olympic winner Simone Biles, considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. She finished second behind Biles on Thursday, Aug.1, at the women’s all-around gymnastics finals where the Belizean American gymnast took home the gold. Andrade celebrated her silver medal win saying, “I’ve worked so hard to achieve this. It’s just unbelievable. I had so much fun, every single moment has been sensational.”

The 25-year-old São Paulo native is no stranger to making history as she became the first female Brazilian artistic gymnast to win an Olympic medal when she took home the gold in the vault competition, and silver in the individual all-around at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. The historic win came despite having three anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears within four years. This year she also celebrated a bronze medal win on July 29 with Brazil’s women’s gymnastic, Brazil’s first world team medal, alongside Flavia Saraiva, Julia Soares, Jade Barbosa, Lorrane Oliveira.

“We didn’t do it for just this generation,” Barbosa said through a translator, NBC Sports reported. “We did this for all the Brazilian gymnastics generations. Today we put together our dream team.”

Meanwhile, London-born Mexican-Kenyan Prisca Awiti Alcaraz made history on July 30 when she won Mexico’s first Olympic medal in judo, and first overall silver medal this year. She defeated Poland’s Angelika Szymanska in round 16, the No. 4 ranked women’s judo competitor in the world. This moment came after she competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but lost in the first round.

Another returning athlete was 29-year-old Adriana Ruano Oliva who became Guatemala’s first Olympic gold medalist on July 31 after she won the women’s trap event hitting 45 of her 50 targets, an Olympic record.

“It was only when I started viewing and visiting shooting events that I thought it would be possible to represent Guatemala in Olympics Games. Lately, my dream was to win the gold medal in Olympics,” she told ABC News.

Ruano, who was 16 at the time, was training for the 2011 world championships in gymnastics, a qualifier for the London Olympics the following year, when she endured a career-ending injury. She had damaged six vertebrae and it was her doctor who suggested she take up shooting as a way to stay in sports without aggravating her injury. She began trap shooting in 2013 and volunteered at the 2016 Rio Games before eventually making her Olympic debut in Tokyo, coming in 26th. Her father had passed away weeks before her win and she was grateful to have family in Paris for her big win.

“I am blessed to have my mom and brother in Paris, giving me their support,” she told Panam Games before the competition. “I thank them too and all my fellow Guatemalans. Know that I carry you all in my heart.”

The Paris Olympics continue through August 11.

Latinas Who’ve Won a Medal at the Paris Olympics as of Aug.2, 11 am PT:

Jordan Chiles & Hezly Rivera – Gold Medal for Women’s Team Gymnastics

Adriana Ruano Oliva – Gold Medal for Women’s Trap – Shooting

Rebeca Andrade, Flavia Saraiva, Julia Soares, Jade Barbosa, Lorrane Oliveira – Bronze Medal for Women’s Team Gymnastics

Prisca Awiti Alcaraz – Silver Medal for Women’s 63kg Judo

Angela Ruiz, Ana Paula Vázquez, Alejandra Valencia – Bronze Medal for Women’s Archery

Rayssa Leal – Bronze Medal for Women’s Street Skateboarding

Larissa Pimenta – Bronze Medal for Women’s 52kg Judo

Rebeca Andrade – Silver Medal Women’s All-Around Gymnastics

Beatriz Souza – Gold Medal for Women’s Judo +78kg