17 Athletes Qualify for Paris Olympics, Bolstering Mexico's Track and Field Presence

Seven Mexican track and field stars join the Paris 2024 team! Cecilia Tamayo Garza, Erick Portillo and others make Olympic debuts. Veterans like Jesús López and Paola Morán return. Mexico boasts a strong 17-athlete contingent ready to chase glory in Paris

17 Athletes Qualify for Paris Olympics, Bolstering Mexico's Track and Field Presence
Mexico sends two high jumpers to Paris! Edgar Rivera prepares to conquer the Olympic Games. Credit: CONADE

A total of seven athletes joined the Mexican delegation that will compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, after the World Athletics ranking was closed last Sunday, June 30, when the last eligibility competition for the summer competition in track and field events concluded.

The sprinter Cecilia Tamayo Garza secured her place, in what will be her first Olympic experience, by placing 36th out of the 48 places available in the select list of the highest governing body of the discipline in the 200 meters event with 1,201 points.

In the men's category, middle-distance runner Jesús Tonatiu López Álvarez, who made his debut in Tokyo 2020, secured his place in Paris 2024 by placing 41st in the 800 meters of the 45 athletes who qualified for this event with a total of 1,263 points.

The high jump will have two Mexican representatives: Erick Josué Portillo, who will be making his debut in the top sporting event, and Edgar Alejandro Rivera Morales, who will be competing in his third Olympic Games, both placed 25th and 31st, respectively, with 1,207 and 1,199 points.

Diego Alan Del Real Galindo, debutant in Rio 2016, joins the national athletics team with his 20th place out of the 32 available in the hammer throw ranking with a total of 1,214.

Olympian Paola Morán Errejón will experience her second appointment in the great event after her debut in Tokyo 2020, after registering the minimum qualifying mark (50.95) in 400 meters by timing 50.58 seconds in the last eligibility competition; however, the Jalisco native already had her qualification by occupying the 22nd place in the ranking.

Ilse Ariadna Guerrero Rodarte and Alejandra Ortega Solis joined Alegna Gonzalez in the women's 20 km race walk after placing 35th (1,175) and 40th (1,147) among the 48 athletes who qualified for the Olympic Games through this route.

With the seven confirmed athletes, Mexico has 17 athletes who will compete in athletics from August 1 to 11 in Paris 2024, since Laura Galván (5000m), Alegna González (20 km walk), Citlali Cristian and Margarita Hernández (marathon), Ricardo Ortiz, José Luis Doctor and Noel Chama (20 km walk), Ever Palma (mixed walking relay) and Uziel Muñoz (shot put) previously met the minimum mark for Olympic qualification.