Olympic Champion Jefferson Pérez Takes Helm of Ecuadorian Olympic Committee

Olympic race walking champion Jefferson Pérez officially assumed the presidency of the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee (COE) on Saturday. The transition follows the resignation of Jorge Delgado Panchana, a move confirmed by the COE in a statement released after an Executive Committee meeting in Guayaquil. John Zambrano also stepped down as secretary-general.

The COE expressed its "deep gratitude" to the outgoing directors for their leadership during what it described as "one of the most glorious periods of national sport, with five Olympic medals." The statement indicated that the resignations were made to "guarantee the stability and participation of our athletes in the Olympic cycle." The organization emphasized that these changes resulted from collaborative work between the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the COE, and the Ministry of Education, Sport, and Culture.

This leadership change comes after the Ecuadorian government's temporary intervention in the COE on July 15. The intervention was prompted by issues surrounding Delgado Panchana's re-election in May 2025, as his board was not recognized by Ecuadorian sports bodies. The Vice Minister of Sport, José Ibáñez, explained that Delgado's board lacked legal recognition due to prohibitions against continuous re-election in sports organizations, supported by a ruling from the Attorney General's Office.

Jefferson Pérez, born in Cuenca, Ecuador, in 1974, boasts an impressive career, including the Olympic gold medal in race walking at the Atlanta 1996 Games, a silver in Beijing 2008, and three World Championship golds. The COE's restructuring, facilitated by meetings between the IOC, government authorities, and COE directors, aims to resolve these internal conflicts and ensure Ecuadorian athletes can compete in upcoming Olympic cycle events.

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la directiva de Delgado no puede ser reconocida legalmente debido a la prohibición de la reelección continua en organismos deportivos, respaldada por un dictamen de la Procuraduría General del Estado.