This July 26th, for the eleventh consecutive year, Ecuador celebrates ECUADORIAN SPORTS DAY. 
ECUADOR, 26/07/2007. Eleven years have passed since Jefferson Perez performed the feat of winning Ecuador’s first and only Olympic medal at Atlanta in 1996, before the incredulous eyes of Ecuadorians and the rest of the world. That day marks the before and after of sport in Ecuador, when a young man of 22 gained world recognition for our country. Since that day many things have changed, and success after success followed: Pan American and World champions, Ecuador’s participation in two World Soccer Cups, etc.
That was the starting point for believing in ourselves, for knowing we were ready to compete and triumph against the best in the world.
In recognition of that epic performance, in 1997 Ministerial Decree Nº 3401 of the Ministry of Education and Culture, declared the 26th of July ECUADORIAN SPORT DAY, a just homage to thousands of Ecuadorian sportsmen who, represented by Jefferson Perez, have written the most emotion-filled history of Ecuador.
And what better way to celebrate this day, than with the satisfaction of knowing that since its first participation in Buenos Aires in 1951, Ecuador has achieved its best performance in the history of the Pan American Games, winning a total of 11 medals so far.
Jefferson, however, will celebrate this day in Saluzzo (Italy), where he is scheduled to arrive Thursday the 26th of July to set up his training camp of 25 days prior to participating in the World Track and Field Championship next August 26th in Osaka, Japan.
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