PROFILE
Paris-bound Peruvians
Palacios twins win Olympic berth
Words: Tom Ransley
There’s a trail blazing streak to the Palacios sisters, Valeria and Alessia. In March they scooped qualification tickets to Paris 2024, by finishing second in the Americas Olympic and Paralympic qualification regatta in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Best friend and teammate Adriana Sanguinetti will join them, having qualified at the same regatta in the women’s single sculls.
Sanguinetti is known affectionately by the twins as their “third sister”, the three have known each other since they were children. They used to compete against each other for rival clubs, Sanguinetti raced for one of the oldest clubs in South America, Club de Regatas Lima (CRL), and the twins represented Regatas Universitario.
These three are the sole rowers representing Peru in Paris and this is the first time Peru has qualified two women’s boats. Camila Valle, who raced in the women’s single sculls at Rio 2016, was the first and last female rower to compete at an Olympics for Peru. With the Olympics lightweight events soon to be no more, the Palacios twins have timed it perfectly.