Geovana Irusta Morejon (born September 26, 1975 in Sucre) is a female Bolivian

racewalker Racewalking, or race walking, is a long-distance discipline within the sport of athletics. Although a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times. Race judges carefully asse ...

. She represented Bolivia in three editions of the Olympic Games (1996, 2000, and 2004), and has captured nine consecutive titles in both 10 and 20 km race walk at the South American Championships since her sporting debut in 1996. She also set a personal best of 1:32:06 (20 km race walk) from La Coruña Grand Prix in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. Irusta made her official debut at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, where she finished thirty-seventh in the women's 10 km race walk with a time of 47:13. At the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

in Sydney, Irusta came from behind the pack through the halfway mark to take the forty-second spot in the inaugural

20 km race walk The 20 kilometre race walk is an Olympic Games, Olympic athletics (sport), athletics event that is competed by both men and women. The racewalking event is competed as a road race. Athletes must always keep in contact with the ground and the supp ...

at a personal best of 1:43.34. Eight years after competing in her first Olympics, Irusta qualified for her third Bolivian team, as a 28-year-old, in the

at the 2004 Summer Olympics in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

by attaining a B-standard entry time of 1:32:06 from La Coruña Grand Prix. She surpassed Ukraine's Vira Zozulya and held off United States'

Teresa Vaill Teresa Vaill (born November 20, 1962) is a female racewalker from the United States. She was born in Torrington, Connecticut. Vaill set her personal best in the women's 20 km race walk event (1:33:23) on April 1, 2001, at a meet in Manassas, ...

by a ten-second edge on the final lap to cross the finish line with a forty-first place time in 1:38:36. Building her own milestone as a three-time Olympian, Irusta was also appointed by the National Olympic Committee ( es, Comité Olímpico Boliviano) to carry the Bolivian flag in the opening ceremony. At the

2007 Pan American Games The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic C ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

, Irusta almost claimed a silver medal in a tight finish against El Salvador's

Cristina López Cristina López may refer to: * Cristina López (racewalker) Cristina Esmeralda López (born 19 September 1982 in Ozatlán) is a Salvadoran race walker. When she won the gold medal at the Pan American Games, she made history by winning the ...

in the same program, but was disqualified by the officials for lifting a third time at the final lap.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Irusta, Geovana 1975 births Living people Bolivian female racewalkers Olympic athletes for Bolivia Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1999 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 2003 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 2007 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 2011 Pan American Games Pan American Games competitors for Bolivia Sportspeople from Sucre South American Games silver medalists for Bolivia South American Games medalists in athletics Competitors at the 1994 South American Games