Today’s Video: Peru’s greatest Olympic moment

We continue our look at Latin American athletes and the Olympics with Peru’s finest moment.

In the entire Olympics history, Peru has only won a minuscule four medals. According to Foreign Policy, such a dismal medal count has come about due to “poverty and lack of infrastructure.” Yet twenty years ago, Peru was on the cusp of one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history.

Throughout the 1980s, the Peruvian women’s volleyball team grew to be an emerging player on the international stage. Their zenith came during the 1988 games in Seoul when they upset such powerhouses as China and the U.S. to reach the gold medal match. Gabriela Perez del Solar, Rosa Garcia, and company faced the world’s best squad in the Soviet Union. Despite a valiant effort by Las Incas the Soviets would comeback from being two sets down. The Peruvians would lose the deciding fifth set by a razor-thin 17-15 score.

Ultimately, the Peruvian women’s valiant effort was not in vain as they graciously received the silver medal and were given a massive heroes reception after returning home. The team’s amazing performance is still remembered fondly in Peru, as the following 2005 newsmagazine report shows:

Sources- YouTube, volleypics.com, Wikipedia, Foreign Policy, The Latin Americanist