Érika Olivera
Encyclopedia
Érika Alejandra Olivera de la Fuente (born January 4, 1976 in Quinta Normal
Quinta Normal
Quinta Normal is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. It is named after a large park in the area.-Demographics:...

) is a female marathon runner
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...

 from Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

. She took the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...

 at the 1999 Pan American Games
1999 Pan American Games
The 1999 Pan American Games, officially the XIII Pan American Games or the 13th Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event that was held from July 23-August 8, 1999 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Approximately 5,000 athletes from 42 nations participated at the games. The 1999...

, setting a Pan American Games record at 2:37.41 hours. She won a bronze at the following edition in 2003. Starting in 1996, she represented her native country in three consecutive Summer Olympics.

Olivera made her breakthrough at the junior level in 1994 when she won the 10,000 metres gold and 3000 metres
3000 metres
The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...

 bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...

s at the South American Junior Championships in Athletics
South American Junior Championships in Athletics
The South American Junior Championships in Athletics are the South American championships in the sport of athletics which is open for those in the junior age category . It is organized by the South American Athletics Confederation .The competition was first held in 1959 in Buenos Aires...

. The following year she upgraded to a gold and a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....

 at the Pan American Junior Championships, before going on to complete a hat-trick of medals at the South American Junior Championships – she secured a 10,000 m and 3000 m double and also won the 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...

 silver behind Bertha Sánchez
Bertha Sánchez
Bertha Oliva Sánchez Rivera is a female long-distance runner from Colombia, who won several medals on continental level from the mid-1990s on. She has won twice at the South American Cross Country Championships; first winning the long race in 2000, then winning the short race competition in...

.

Olivera is a two-time winner of the South American Cross Country Championships
South American Cross Country Championships
The South American Cross Country Championships is an annual continental cross country running competition for athletes from South America or, more specifically, member countries of CONSUDATLE. It was first held in 1986, making it the oldest of the continental cross country championships...

, having beaten all comers in both the long and short races in 1999. She is a five-time winner and course record holder of the Santiago Marathon. She won the 1995 edition of the Buenos Aires Marathon
Buenos Aires Marathon
The Maratón de Buenos Aires is an annual marathon foot-race which takes place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, during the Southern Hemisphere's Spring, usually in October....

 in Argentina and placed fourth at the 74th Saint Silvester Marathon
74th Saint Silvester Marathon
The 74th Saint Silvester Marathon, or Race , was held in São Paulo, Brazil, on December 31, 1998...

 in 1998.

She enjoyed success on the track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...

 at continental level, completing a 10,000 metres/5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...

 silver medal double at both the 1997 South American Championships in Athletics
1997 South American Championships in Athletics
The 1997 South American Championships in Athletics were held in Mar del Plata, Argentina.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics* - GBR Athletics...

 and 2003 South American Championships in Athletics
2003 South American Championships in Athletics
The 2003 South American Championships in Athletics were held from June 20 to June 22 at the Polideportivo Máximo Viloria in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Detailed day-by-day reports can be found on the IAAF website.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:...

. Further to this, she won a silver and a bronze at the 1999 edition
1999 South American Championships in Athletics
The 1999 South American Championships in Athletics were held at the Coliseo El Salitre in Bogotá, Colombia from June 25-27.-Men's events:-Women's events:A = affected by altitude-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics* - GBR Athletics...

 of the competition. At the Ibero-American Championships
Ibero-American Championships
The Ibero-American Championships in Athletics is a biennial athletics competition for athletes representing Ibero-American countries as well as a number of other Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa...

, she has won medals in a number of events, beginning with a 5000 m gold medal and 10,000 m bronze in 1996, the 10,000 m gold at the 2000 edition, and finally a silver medal in the 3000 metres steeplechase in 2002.

Her personal best for the marathon is 2:32:23, set at the 1999 Rotterdam Marathon
Rotterdam Marathon
The Rotterdam Marathon is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April of every year since the third edition in 1984, and attracts many top athletes. It has also been ranked as one of the top 10 marathons in the world by Runner's World...

, which is also the Chilean record
Chilean records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Chile maintained by its national athletics federation: Federación Atlética de Chile .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:A = affected by altitude# = not officially ratified by federation...

 for the event. She is also the national record holder over the half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...

, 10,000 m and 5000 m.

External links



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