BTN News: Daniel Pintado made history at the Olympics in Paris, winning the gold medal in the 20 kilometers race walk at the Trocadero. His main source of motivation was a heartfelt message from his nine-year-old son, Nicolás, the night before the race. This message gave Pintado the strength to outshine the favorite, Álvaro Martín from Spain, who is a two-time world champion.
Daniel Pintado was born in 1995 in Cuenca, Ecuador. He had already achieved a lot before this Olympics. Just a year earlier, he won a silver medal in the 35 kilometers race walk at the World Championships in Budapest. This victory reminded many of Jefferson Pérez, another famous race walker from Cuenca, who won three international gold medals, the last one in 2007. Pintado had also won the Pan American title in the 20 kilometers race walk in Lima in 2019.
Pintado’s performance in Paris showed his great skill and hard work. As a child, he looked up to Jefferson Pérez but trained with Luis Chocho, another well-known Ecuadorian coach who sadly passed away in February 2021. Luis Chocho and his son, Andrés Chocho, played big roles in Pintado’s training.
After his victory, Pintado shared his feelings about the journey. “I still can’t believe it. This win is the result of all the hard work and tough times away from my family. Chocho always told me to come without pressure, but I believed it was important to feel the pressure,” Pintado said.
The night before his race, Pintado felt very nervous and missed his family. His son Nicolás sent him an audio message that calmed him down. “Last night, I was crying because I was so nervous. My son sent me a voice message saying, ‘Dad, we love you, you’re the best, and no matter what happens, you will always be a champion to us.’ That message meant everything to me,” Pintado shared.
During the race, Pintado kept his family close in his thoughts. He had a picture of his children on the Ecuadorian flag and wore necklaces with the phrase “With God, everything is possible” and another with his son’s name. “These small things make us champions because we are all on the same level,” he said.
Pintado also talked about a conversation with his coach before the race. “My coach told me that I am like a six-speed vehicle and that I needed to shift into sixth gear at the end. He was right. I didn’t think I could do it, but with two hundred meters left, I realized I could. When I saw the finish line in Paris, I knew I had made it,” he said.
Pintado dedicated his win to Andrés Chocho, his children Nicolás and Montserrat, and his entire family. He thanked his mother for believing in him first, his hardworking father, and all the people in Ecuador who supported him. “This win is for all of us,” he concluded.
Daniel Pintado’s gold medal in Paris is a step above Jefferson Pérez’s silver in Beijing 2008. His journey, driven by personal resolve and the love of his family, is an inspiration to athletes everywhere.
