Mexico wins its first gold medal with Lourdes Ponce at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics

Mexican athlete Lourdes Ponce Juárez was crowned champion in the 10,000-meter race at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics, stopping the clock at 36:17.07 minutes.

With this victory, the athlete from the State of Mexico gave Mexico its first gold medal of the event and confirmed her leadership in long-distance races.

*^{The athlete from the State of Mexico gave Mexico its first gold medal of the event and confirmed her leadership in long-distance races. Photo: X @conadeoficial}*

The podium was completed by Sara-Elise Ruokonen of Finland, who won a silver medal with a time of 37:13.45, and Kenya’s Serah Kimani, who took a bronze medal after clocking in at 37:24.37 minutes.

Fellow Mexican Lucía Amador Anaya came close to the podium, finishing in fourth place at 38:05.12.

The competition is part of the athletics program of the Deaflympics, which this year brings together more than 3,000 athletes from 80 countries.

Ponce’s victory stands out not only for its competitive edge but also for consolidating the progress of Mexican adaptive sports on international stages.

This is the second medal for the national delegation in Tokyo, as María Isabel Huitrón Ángeles won a silver medal in judo, -48 kg category, becoming a triple Deaflympics medalist after her gold medals in Samsun 2017 and Caxias 2022.

The Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics competitions will continue until Wednesday, November 26, with more opportunities for Mexico to keep adding medals to its list.