Valente Mendoza Falcón and the Rise of Mexico's Relay Runners

The 400 meters flat runner and member of the men's 4x400 team, Valente Mendoza Falcón, assured that this brand-new team has great objectives, such as qualifying for the World Championship of the specialty, securing a place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as well as breaking the Mexican record in this discipline.

“We have very high expectations, such as breaking the Mexican record which is 3:02.89 minutes, we did it in 2019. First we hope to be in the World Cup, qualify for Paris 2024 and fight for good places. We have a lot of support from the people and institutions, we are truly grateful for that, and it motivates us a lot,” he said.

Together with Luis Avilés, Guillermo Campos and Edgar Ramírez, the Jalisco native has formed a group that has achieved historic results for our country recently: silver medal at the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 and a time of 3:03.61 minutes that has them close to qualifying for the World Championship, to be held on May 4 and 5 in the Bahamas.

“This project has been years in the making, but it has shined in the last few months, in which we worked for Santiago 2023, where we won the silver medal. We continue to improve in communication, we put together a quick three-week tour in the United States. In the first competition we did not do as we wanted in times, but as we progressed we became more united and the results were seen. There was more commitment and motivation; we are on the right track for the World Championship,” he said.

“It motivates us a lot, because the relay is something very difficult, and we are doing very well. We achieved a feat with the silver medal (in Santiago 2023) and I think we are on the right track to continue making history,” he added.

Mendoza Falcón shared his feelings regarding the team's participation in the “Encuentro César Moreno Bravo”, an event held in Mexico City that represented the closing of the qualifying process for the World Championship of the specialty.

“We did not improve our time, but we are happy to continue working; Colombia was going to run with us, but stopped at the beginning. That little pull that we need is what will give us a better time, but the important thing is to stay there and be competitive. The qualification for the World Cup closes this Sunday and for the moment we are in, that is where we will seek the places for Paris 2024,” he said.

“It has been a little difficult because the sport is individual, and to form a relay, although it seemed easy, it is not so simple, because everyone has their own personality and you have to work as a team. Fortunately, we are all very good friends, and we have shared competitions and concentrations; they are all very good runners, man for man they have won everything at the national level. At the beginning it was a little difficult, but we are adapting very well, and we are happy about that,” he concluded.