Lima, Peru — August 7, 2024 will be forever etched in the memory of Peruvian sports thanks to the historic performance of Stefano Peschiera, who won the bronze medal in the men’s dinghy category at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
His achievement not only represents Peru’s first Olympic medal in 32 years, but also the fifth medal in the country’s history in this competition.
The road to bronze was not easy for Peschiera, who had to overcome multiple obstacles in the medal race, held in the waters off Marseille. On a day marked by a lack of wind, which led to several suspensions of the competition, the 29-year-old sailor managed to stay calm and recover positions after temporarily falling back to tenth place. Finally, with a net score of 80, Peschiera secured third place on the podium, behind Australian Matt Wearn, who won gold, and Cypriot Pavlos Kontides, who took silver.
This victory holds special significance for Peru, which had not won an Olympic medal since Barcelona 1992. With Peschiera’s medal, the country secures its first bronze in Olympic history, joining a list of talented Peruvian athletes: Edwin Vásquez Cam (gold in shooting at London 1948), Francisco Boza (silver in shooting at Los Angeles 1984), the women’s volleyball team (silver in Seoul 1988), and Juan Giha (silver in Barcelona 1992).
This achievement comes in a context of frustrated expectations for Peru at Paris 2024, where other athletes, such as surfer Alonso Correa and the speedwalking duo of Kimberly García and César Rodríguez, came close to the podium but were unable to secure a medal.
About Stefano Peschiera
Stefano Peschiera, born on November 16, 1994, in Lima, is a prominent Peruvian sailor specializing in the Laser Standard class. He has represented Peru in three editions of the Olympic Games: Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024, where he finally won his bronze medal.
Throughout his career, Peschiera has demonstrated an exceptional ability to adapt to different weather and sailing conditions, allowing him to compete at a high level in various parts of the world.
In addition to his success in sailing, Peschiera is known for his passion for finance, a career he hopes to pursue after his eventual retirement from sports. At 29, there is still hope that he will reconsider his decision to retire and continue representing Peru in future competitions, such as the Pan American Games Lima 2027 and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
