Jefferson Perez will arrive this Friday. 
Ecuador, 28/08/2008. During the morning and part of the afternoon, Jeff will be the object of a series of tributes in Quito and after will hold a press conference. His arrival in Cuenca, his birthplace, will be sometime after 5:00 p.m.
Jefferson Perez' welcome from his home-town fans this Friday will differ from other occasions. In addition to receiving the applause of the public and recognition from city notables, it will mark his farewell as a competitor.
The arrival of the Olympic double medal winner at Quito's Mariscal Sucre Airport is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. A motorcade will leave the airport for the offices of the Bank of Pichincha, where the executives of his main sponsor will hold a press conference.
After that Jeff will visit Quito's City Hall and the Prefecture of Pichincha to receive tributes from Mayor Paco Moncayo and the prefect, Gustavo Baroja. Other activities are programmed for later in the day.
His arrival at Mariscal Sucre Airport in Cuenca, his birthplace, is planned for 5:00 p.m. the same day. There he will be received with flowers and applauses as has occurred after each of his triumphs.
As his brother Fabian Perez said, this time the tribute will not only be for the silver medal obtained in Peking. "This Friday will be the grand opportunity to fill the streets to say farewell after 20 years of activity. Peking was his last race."
He also recalled that the Ecuadorian people have always been generous with his brother and this Friday will not be the exception. The biggest motorcade was after the Olympic gold medal in Atlanta in 1996. Jefferson feels proud that in Atlanta Ecuador's flag was raised before the entire world.
In Cuenca the Azuay Sports Federation is preparing a special program for the arrival of the multiple medal winner. A stage is being assembled outside the airport terminal for artists to perform.
After that the former Olympic champion's motorcade will pass through the city and terminate at Abdon Calderón Park, Cuenca's main plaza. There he will receive more tributes from city authorities and the Azuay Sports Federation, followed by a press conference at the City Hall auditorium.
Fabian Perez clarified that his brother never left Peking, refuting the information posted on the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee web page. The silver medalist will arrive in Quito in the company of Marco Chango (physician), Manuel Ortiz (coach) and Marcelo Aviles (physical therapist).
As in other years the Race Walking School of Azuay, directed by Luis Chocho, will also participate in the celebration. It should be mentioned that Jefferson Perez, Rolando Saquipay and Johana Ordoñez, who participated in the Olympic Games at Peking, are all products of the Race Walking School of Azuay province.
A Museum for "Jeff"
The Municipality of Cuenca will present Perez with a building on the street known as Calle Larga for his museum, where information regarding his triumphs will be on display.
TV channels Telerama and Unsion will transmit live his arrival in Cuenca.
Rolando Saquipay arrives today in Cuenca. He was in the U.S.A., visiting his father, Abelardo, who has been living there for the past seven years.
The anti-doping tests of the Russian, Valery Borchin, winner of the 20 km walk, have not yet been made known.
Source: elcomercio.com
|
