The Mexican Enriqueta Basilio, the first woman who lit the Olympic pebetero, in the 1968 Games, died on Saturday at age 71, after the worsening of her Parkinson's disease. The athlete, who competed in that event in 400 meters and 80 meters hurdles, was a symbol of rebellion in a country and at a time where it was not well seen that women practiced high level sport.

"There were taboos. Other concepts were in fashion. I had played basketball, but I went to athletics because it was not a contact sport until my Polish coach discovered me. The authorities convinced my parents to let me come to the capital." Basilio explained in 2018, half a century after that unforgettable October 12, 1968.

Dressed in white, with a ribbon in her short hair and the torch in her right hand, the young woman climbed the 92 steps before lighting the sacred fire. The noise was hellish, but after stepping on the first step I stopped hearing the screams. I stopped seeing people, "he told the Excelsior newspaper a few months ago.

Enriqueta was the last of the 2,778 runners who took the fire to the University Olympic Stadium. In that remembered edition, 5,516 athletes from 112 countries participated, who signed 257 Olympic and 27 world records. After completing his mission, Basilio left a succinct message: "I feel a great emotion and I am extremely honored to have represented the youth of all the countries of the world."

PRI deputy

A few days before, Mexico had lived some of its most tragic days, when the Army killed dozens of young people in a public square. 'Queta' was then isolated in his training and always maintained that he only knew afterwards the details of that killing.

After his retirement, Basilio was at the beginning of this century federal deputy for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and then gradually moved away from social life. Neither the family nor the authorities have reported the details of the funeral, in which the presence of the main figures of Mexican Olympism is expected.

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