In the last edition of the Pan American Games in Lima 2019, the BMX Freestyle made its debut. 56 athletes came to the continental event, including the Chilean rider Macarena Pérez. There, she shone in the competition, managed to win the silver medal and position herself as one of the great athletes of the sport in Chile and America.

In 2019, she went to China to compete in the BMX Freestyle World Championship, where she obtained second place and managed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games, setting a precedent in her sporting history and in Chilean BMX Freestyle.

Today, Macarena Pérez is training for her future challenges, among them the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023, so she tells us her vision of the 1000 days remaining for the execution of the largest sporting event that Chile has organized.

What is the focus that Santiago 2023 should have in light of the 1000 days?

May the Games be perfect and beautiful. That all disciplines are satisfied and in accordance with the facilities and the competitions, and that the athletes can have a good time of competition.

And specifically for your sport?

For BMX it is all totally new, it is a sport about which not much is known. Anyway, we hope to have a good park where anyone can look at it and say wow, they really did it great. I hope everything goes well and for my part, I just have to prepare a lot.

What are your sports expectations for Santiago 2023?

First, I hope to qualify and then I want to get a gold. Even if there are several years ahead, many things can happen along the way, such as new competitors emerging. You have to see how things turn out, but it is clear that if I give it my all, obviously I can win. 

What aspects can be improved in this edition in relation to BMX?

I hope it is a sport just as important as all the rest. I think that in Peru they gave very little coverage and it was hardly seen. In fact, I have not seen any videos of myself or the competition. I would love that in this edition the coverage and importance is the same as that of other sports, considering that it is a strong sport in "urban" environment.

How do you see the fact of competing at home?

It's going to be weird, because Chile has never had an official national or international BMX Freestyle championship. In fact, I have invited many of my friends, who are also competitors, to Chile but there is never anything (tournaments). Now I am super happy, because they will be able to come and compete in my country, it will be super exciting.