TOKYO, Japan — Editor's note: The above video aired during a previous broadcast.
A Northern Arizona University (NAU) runner racing for Guatemala earned 12th place in the finals of the men's 5000-meter race at the Tokyo Olympics early Friday morning.
Luis Grijalva was clocked in at 13:10.09 when he came across the finish line. The time was a personal best for Grijalva.
The winner of the race, Team Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei, is also the world record holder of the event. He finished with a time of 12:58.15, just ahead of Team Canada's Mohammad Ahmed at 12:58.61 and Team USA's Paul Chelimo at 12:59.05.
Grijalva's journey to the Olympics is a unique one. In fact, he had to get a special permit from the U.S. Federal Government in order to compete in the 2020 Summer Games.
He grew up in the US but was born in Guatemala and was selected to compete for the Central American nation.
"It feels surreal I’m actually going to compete for Guatemala in the Olympic Games. I’m just really excited,” Grijalva said.
It became a race against the clock to get a permit to leave the U.S. as a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient. If he left for the Olympics, he might not have been allowed back into the U.S. – his home for the past 21 years.
“DACA protects me and all. It’s a really good program and supports me in so many ways but in some ways takes away my freedoms to leave the country,” Grijalva said.
Tokyo Olympics
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