Guillermo Pérez
Encyclopedia
Guillermo Pérez Sandoval (born October 14, 1979 in Uruapan
, Michoacán
) is a Olympic
gold medal
-winning Mexican
taekwondo
practitioner. Pérez stands at 171 cm and weighs 58 kg.
At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
, China
, Pérez won the gold medal in the -58 kg category. Pérez defeated Dominican
Gabriel Mercedes
on August 20, 2008. The match ended 1-1 after four rounds, but Pérez was deemed superior by unanimous decision.
films as his inspiration. By the age of 10, Pérez won his first state tournament in Michoacán. Such success was the gate to compete nationally, earning a bronze medal in his first national competition. In 1989, he achieved first place at the national infant competition. In 1995 he traveled to Ottawa
to assist his first international competition, placing second. Later on in 1996, he was the first place winner at the Taekwondo U.S. Open, in which more than 60 countries participated.
in 1999 to train with the Olympic champion William de Jesús, who helped give 20-year-old Pérez the experience to get into the national team after unsuccessfully trying to enter it before. He finally became part of the Mexican taekwondo team that traveled to the Pan American Games
of 1999 in Winnipeg
, Canada
.
In April 2005, he traveled to Madrid
to compete in the 2005 World Taekwondo Championships
, placing ninth. Three years later, he won second place at the Dutch Open, which gave him the opportunity to participate in the Beijing 2007 World Taekwondo Championships
in the flyweight (-58 kg) category. There, Pérez won the silver medal, losing to Juan Antonio Ramos
of Spain
in the final.
, and the first for a male since the 1984 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles
, the 11th gold medal ever for the Mexicans, and the country's 53rd overall Olympic medal.
Uruapan
Uruapan is a city and municipality in the west-central part of the Mexican state of Michoacán. The city is the municipal seat of the municipality...
, Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
) is a Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
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...
-winning Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
practitioner. Pérez stands at 171 cm and weighs 58 kg.
At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Pérez won the gold medal in the -58 kg category. Pérez defeated Dominican
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
Gabriel Mercedes
Gabriel Mercedes
Yulis Gabriel Mercedes Reyes is a Dominican taekwondo practitioner and Olympic medalist. He won a silver medal in the – 58 kg class at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, after tying with Guillermo Pérez of Mexico, but losing by a judge's decision.-References:* *...
on August 20, 2008. The match ended 1-1 after four rounds, but Pérez was deemed superior by unanimous decision.
Early years
Pérez started taekwondo at 5 years old, citing Bruce LeeBruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
films as his inspiration. By the age of 10, Pérez won his first state tournament in Michoacán. Such success was the gate to compete nationally, earning a bronze medal in his first national competition. In 1989, he achieved first place at the national infant competition. In 1995 he traveled to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
to assist his first international competition, placing second. Later on in 1996, he was the first place winner at the Taekwondo U.S. Open, in which more than 60 countries participated.
Mexican National Team
Pérez moved to PueblaPuebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
in 1999 to train with the Olympic champion William de Jesús, who helped give 20-year-old Pérez the experience to get into the national team after unsuccessfully trying to enter it before. He finally became part of the Mexican taekwondo team that traveled to the Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
of 1999 in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
In April 2005, he traveled to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
to compete in the 2005 World Taekwondo Championships
2005 World Taekwondo Championships
The 2005 World Taekwondo Championships were the 17th edition of the World Taekwondo Championships, and were held in Madrid, Spain from 13 to 17 April 2005.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:-Team ranking:...
, placing ninth. Three years later, he won second place at the Dutch Open, which gave him the opportunity to participate in the Beijing 2007 World Taekwondo Championships
2007 World Taekwondo Championships
The 2007 World Taekwondo Championships were the 18th edition of the World Taekwondo Championships, and were held in Beijing, China from May 18 to May 22, 2007.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:-Men:-Women:-References:*...
in the flyweight (-58 kg) category. There, Pérez won the silver medal, losing to Juan Antonio Ramos
Juan Antonio Ramos
Juan Antonio Ramos Sánchez is a Spanish taekwondo practitioner.He is a two-time world champion, winning the finweight title in 1997 and the flyweight title in 2007. He also competed for Spain at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, finishing fourth and equal fifth respectively.-References:...
of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in the final.
Gold Medal
Earning the gold medal put Pérez among a select few for Mexico, giving the feat historical importance. His win marked only the third gold medal for Mexico since the 2000 Olympics in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and the first for a male since the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, the 11th gold medal ever for the Mexicans, and the country's 53rd overall Olympic medal.