Here's how Armijo High grad Luis Grijalva performed at the Tokyo Olympic Games
(Photo via Instagram; Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
An Armijo High School graduate went for gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games this morning.
Luis Grijalva, now a student at Northern Arizona University, represented Guatemala when he competed in the Men’s 5,000-Meter Finals track and field event early Friday morning.
Grijalva almost didn’t make it to Tokyo: His status as a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient meant he risked possible deportation if he traveled outside the country.
Friends and associates lobbied for a special permit on his behalf, and with the assistance of a federal lawmaker, he was granted a special travel authorization by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) just before the Olympic Games.
Grijalva and his family came to the United States when the athlete was just three years old, settling into Fairfield, where his father took a job at a cabinet factory while washing cars on the side.
Later in life, he stayed with his father in Fairfield when the rest of his family moved back to Guatemala. He became a student at Armijo High School where he fell in love with track and field.
Matthew Pence, Grijalva’s former coach at Armijo High, described the Olympian as a “ridiculously fast runner” in an interview with Sacramento NBC station KCRA-TV (Channel 3).
“We didn’t know he was going to be quite that good,” Pence said.
That is an understatement: While at Armijo High School, Grijalva set new school records and won state championships. His efforts earned him a full scholarship to Northern Arizona University and later a contract with shoe company Hoka Hoka One.
At the Olympic Trials in Oregon last month, Grijalva was the fastest athlete to compete on behalf of his native Guatemala, clocking in nearly 30 seconds faster than the next-closest athlete from that country, according to the New York Times.
Speaking with Phoenix NBC affiliate KPNX (Channel 12), Grijalva said the opportunity to compete on the world stage was a dream come true.
“It feels surreal that I’m actually going to compete for Guatemala in the Olympic Games,” he said. “I’m just really excited.”
So, how did Luis Grijalva do at the Olympic Games in Tokyo on Friday?
Out of 16 international competitors, Grijalva started in the first position. After the first kilometer, he dropped to 14th position and largely stayed in the back of the pack while runners from Uganda, Canada and the United States jostled for medal position.
By the 4-kilometer mark, Grijalva improved his position, sprinting to 11th place. He ended the race in 12th place with a time of 13:10.09 (mm:ss.ms).
Grijalva was the only competitor representing Guatemala in the blockbuster 5,000-meter race.
Joshua Cheptegei won the race with a time of 12:58.15, clinching a gold medal for Uganda. Mohammed Ahmed of Canada was close behind, earning a silver medal with a time of 12:58.61.
Team USA took a bronze medal in the race with Paul Chelimo finishing the race in third place with a time of 12:59.05.
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