Lima 2019 Venues Survive Earthquake Scare

(ATR) The 7.1-magnitude earthquake which hit off the coast of southern Peru on Sunday did not damage any of the venues for the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, organizers confirm to Around the Rings.

"Lima has survived a small scare, the quake was 600 kilometers south of the capital and 30 kilometers offshore," said Lima 2019 President Carlos Neuhaus.

The earthquake left at least one person dead and more than 100 injured, according to reports from Peru. More than 700 families in several provinces were affected in some way by the quake.

The organizers of the Pan American Games have intensified efforts to complete all construction projects with less than two years remaining until the start of the event. Delays in the construction of the Athletes' Village and other venues caused serious concern for Panam Sports, yet a lot of momentum has been gained in the past year and confidence is high that everything will be ready in time for the Games in July 2019.

Any setbacks by natural disasters or political instability could halt this momentum at a moment's notice.

"Fortunately, it was not us hit," said Neuhaus, who anticipates another visit from Panam Sports leadership in the coming weeks.

With the major venues avoiding damage from the earthquake, work can continue on completing the projects ahead of deadlines. According to construction specialists working on the Athletes' Village, a "re-engineering of the project to minimize construction time" could make the village ready by December 2018, two months ahead of the contracted agreement.

The 18th Pan American Games will be held between July 26 and Aug. 11, 2019 in Lima. Athletes will compete for 374 medals in 39 sports and disciplines.

Written by Miguel Hernandez

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