Medal Count: Peru

I posted a few weeks ago that Peru was sending athletes to the winter Olympics, and well, let’s just say they didn’t do so well.  I am not surprised.  Of all the events that Peru took place in, here are our finishes:

• Roberto Carcelen, men’s 15km free cross-country ski – 94/96
• Manfred Oettl Reyes, men’s giant slalom alpine ski – RUN 1: 76/103 – RUN 2: 66/103
• Manfred Oettl Reyes, men’s slalom alpine ski – RUN 1: DISQUALIFIED, 103/102 – RUN 2: DISQUALIFIED, 103/102
• Ornella Oettl Reyes, women’s giant slalom alpine ski – RUN 1: 60/68 – RUN 2: DID NOT FINISH, 69/68
• Ornella Oettl Reyes, women’s slalom alpine ski – RUN 1: 57/87 – RUN 2: DISQUALIFIED, 88/87

What is more interesting, however, is the nationality of all of the athletes.  None of them I would consider to be proud Peruvians.  Manfred and Ornella were born in Germany and live in Germany, and happen to have a Peruvian parent.  They only applied for Peruvian passports during the qualifiers for the Olympics, when they realized that they weren’t in the top 30 and therefore couldn’t represent Germany.

Roberto moved to the United States, started working for Microsoft, and married an American.  His wife introduced him to cross country skiing only 5 years ago, while he was living in the US.  He dreamed of going to the Olympics, and, like the German siblings, decided to represent Peru.