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LULAC Salutes Woman As First Track Olympian To Win Gold For Puerto Rico

Nation’s Largest and Oldest Latino Civil Rights Organization Celebrates Victory of Jasmine Camacho-Quinn at Tokyo Olympics

Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), today issued the following statement on the historic achievement of Puerto Rico’s first Olympic athlete in track to win a gold medal. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn set a record of 12.26 in the semis on Sunday and won with 12.37 for the final event, beating out American Keni Harrison who won silver, and another Caribbean athlete, Megan Tapper of Jamaica who won bronze. Until now, only Monica Puig had brought home gold for Puerto Rico, by winning in tennis in 2016.

“The women of LULAC are thrilled over the history-making wins of Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, whose mother is Puerto Rican, for her tremendous accomplishment in Tokyo,” says Elsie Valdes-Ramos, LULAC National Board Member and Vice-President for Women. “She embodies the very best example of talent, sacrifice, and determination to reach the pinnacle of victory in her field. We are doubly elated because Jasmine chose to represent her maternal heritage in these global games. Across Puerto Rico and for the diaspora of Puerto Ricans throughout the United States, we cheered with joy swelling in our hearts and La Borinqueña, our island’s national anthem catching in our throats during the awards ceremony, as we are unable to contain the overwhelming pride we feel today,” adds Valdes-Ramos.

Adding to Camacho-Quinn’s victory is that her win represents a true comeback for the 24-year-old University of Kentucky athlete. She participated in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro when she was only 19, but stumbled and fell, disqualifying her from the competition. That loss five years ago did not deter Jasmine from trying again and told her fans, she let that incident go and so should they.

“The spirit of overcoming adversity and never looking back is rooted in our history,” says Valdes-Ramos. “We are resilient, and we get up again and again. We do not let the tragedies or losses, no matter how difficult or bitter, extinguish our love of life, God, and each other. LULAC women are equally resolved everywhere they live, to confront challenges daily, work together to resolve them, and set a higher standard for the future of their families and communities. We salute Jasmine and her mother Maria Milagros Camacho, who was herself an athlete too. ¡Arriba las Mujeres!” says Valdes-Ramos.

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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest Hispanic civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services, and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting the critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit https://lulac.org/