By Steve Keating
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Peru’s Cristhian Pacheco retained his Pan American Games marathon title on Sunday as hosts Chile were once again denied a first gold medal with Hugo Catrileo taking the silver.
Pacheco, who won at home in 2019 when Lima staged the Pan Ams, denied Catrileo the same thrill as he powered through the streets of the Chilean capital unchallenged, clocking a winning time of two hours 11 minutes and 14 seconds.
Cheered on by a flag-waving crowd lining the 42-km route, Catrileo could not match the pace of his South American rival, coming home 53 seconds behind Pacheco to the roars of fans and dedicating his medal “to all the people of the countryside”.
“I’m happy. The support of the people was fundamental, there have been many weeks of training,” said Catrileo.
Mexico’s Citlali Cristian took the women’s gold in 2:27.12 ahead of Argentina’s Florencia Borelli, who was alone in the lead before being overtaken two km from the finish.
Chilean nerves have been put to the test through the first two days after Canada denied them a golden start to the two-week multi-sport competition on Saturday by taking top spot on the podium in the cross-country mountain bike events, leaving brother and sister Martin and Catalina Kossmann with silver.
Chile snatched another medal in early action on Sunday with Aranza Sanchez taking bronze in the women’s cycling time trial won by the United States’ Kristen Faulkner.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Santiago; Editing by Ken Ferris)
