SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Erick Barrondo claims Guatemala's first ever Olympic medal

Erick Barrondo has made history as he gave Guatemala, a poverty-stricken country their first ever Olympic medal in any sport.

Erick_barrondo_b_080812_getty_682663145

1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: CNN


Skip to article content

Racewalker Erick Barrondo won Guatemala's first ever medal of any sport in Olympic history on Saturday as he claimed silver in the men's 20 kilometres walk.

Barrondo, 21, who finished behind China's Chen Ding, said that as a teenager he trained with his mother's tennis shoes, because the family couldn't afford a pair for him.

As CNN's Rafael Romo reports, Barrondo's achievement has become a national success for his impoverished crime-ridden country.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world