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Up-and-comers Under 20Four young Latin Americans are conquering the world of sports.text claudio celano gómez 
Every year, many young Latin American athletes pass down the title of prodigy in their native countries and go out to conquer new frontiers. Such is the case of these four Latinos who have made names for themselves in their respective sports before the age of 20. The race walker who has all of Ecuador excited, the skier dominating the Chilean Andes, the skilled Peruvian helmsman and the Argentinean tennis star who dreams of becoming the world's number one. These are the region’s latest sports stars. Walking Towards GoldThe first athlete in his family, Ecuadorian Ricardo Loján discovered his passion for racing when he was just 13. While he first tested his skills in speed trials, by age 17 Loján had discovered that his love was for endurance, not velocity. Thanks to his current trainer, Luis Guillermo González, Loján developed a passion for race walking. Just three months after starting, he entered a national tournament and made it all the way to the podium. Since then, Loján has had a recurring dream: “My greatest desire is to become an Olympic champion.” After his first triumph, the young Ecuadorian hope made the next big leap in his career. With a brilliant performance, Loján came in ninth in the ten-kilometer marathon at the 2008 world championships in Russia at just 19 years of age. Now his sights are set on the 2012 Olympic Games in London. By then, he’ll be 23 and hoping to make the transition from promising youngster to national legend. Sailing the World
Hope on the Slopes
Aces High He began training as a soccer player for the Independiente club in Tandil (his hometown in Argentina), until one day, when someone loaned him a racquet. It was then that Juan Martín Del Potro had to make a crucial choice: soccer or tennis? His tennis teacher at the time convinced him to pursue the latter. Like any player who sets his sights on the highest level of the sport, Del Potro began playing in Challengers. After winning a number of titles, he was recognized as one of the most promising youngsters in Argentinean tennis. Nevertheless, he still had to take the next step – competing against the best. At just 19, the Argentinean won three ATP titles consecutively in 2008: first in Stuttgart, followed by a win in Kitzbühel and another in Los Angeles, where he beat former world number one, Andy Roddick. “This is the greatest victory of my career. I’m happy,” declared Del Potro as he held the cup in his hands. This year, he met his goal of cracking the top 20 by mid-year. What will the future hold?
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Already quite the experienced helmsman, Peruvian Alexander Zimmerman won the silver medal in the Sunfish class at the Pan-American Games, took the gold in the Laser Radical class at the Central and South American Championship and came in third at the World Sailing Championship. These honors led the Peruvian Olympic Committee to name him the top sportsman of 2007. This sounds like the tale of a storied athlete at the peak of competitive career. However, the recipient of these accolades is, in fact, just 17 years of age. Although Zimmerman admits having been frustrated by the International Olympic Committee’s failure to invite him to the Beijing Games, he knows that his youth means that he’ll have his share of opportunities to show what he can do with his 4.7-meter ship.
When one thinks of countries with a tradition of skiing, Switzerland, Norway, Australia and Italy are usually the first that come to mind. The Europeans are almost always favored in winter sports, but starting this year, a Chilean skier has been making quite an impact. After beginning her career some 30 miles from Santiago – on the frigid mountains of the La Parva ski center, where she continues to train under Luciano Acerboni – Florencia Marinovic began to make a name for herself on the South American ski scene. At just 17, she became the number one ranked junior in the region thanks to her titles in the Downhill and Super G categories on the South American Cup circuit. Now Marinovic is known across the Atlantic after an impressive third-place finish at the 2008 World Juniors in Spain. These victories have qualified this great hope in Chilean skiing for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, where she’ll look to capture the gold.
