The Uruguayan Olympic Committee (COU) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs celebrated this Sunday the achievement of Julia Paternain, who won the bronze medal in the Women's Marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, considered a historic event for the South American country.

The 25-year-old athlete years old, a member of the National Athletics Club, crossed the finish line with a time of 2h27:23, only behind the Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir (2h24:43) and the Ethiopian Tigst Assefa (2h24:45), which allowed her to become the first Uruguayan to climb onto the podium in the history of this international competition.

The COU, through a thread on its official account on X, highlighted that this was only the second marathon race in Paternain's career, who specializes in 5,000 and 10,000 meter events, which accentuates the dimension of the result obtained in the Japanese capital.

The Olympic organization also recalled that the runner started from 288th place in the world rankings, and still managed to surprise with a performance that "writes a new page for national sport."

The news was also shared by Vice President Carolina Cosse and the Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin, who called the result an "incredible success" and "an exceptional contribution from our citizens beyond our borders." From the mixed zone of the Tokyo Olympic Stadium, Paternain expressed her excitement and amazement at the result, saying she was "in shock." She commented that she didn't pay attention to the time during the race, simply trying to run at her own pace, and expressed her gratitude to the Japanese public for the support she received during the competition. The marathon runner revealed that her parents are teachers and live in the United States, and shared her desire to visit Uruguay soon. She stated that she would like to become an example for young women in South America, emphasizing that "anything is possible" if you have the will to try, even if you only have "a pair of shoes."

Paternain's result adds to the milestones of Uruguayan athletics and reinforces expectations for the Olympic Games, where the long-distance runner could have a notable participation if she maintains her competitive level.