Lourdes Klitzkie

Lourdes Palomo Klitzkie (born 2 February 1940) is a Guamanian long-distance runner. Klitzkie would begin long-distance running in her late 30s to combat boredom, later qualifying to represent Guam at the 1988 Summer Olympics upon recording a time below the Guamanian qualifying standard of 3:30 in the marathon.

At the 1988 Summer Games, she would be the oldest Guamanian athlete on the team and the oldest competitor in the women's marathon. She would place 63rd out of the 64 athletes that completed the race.

Lourdes Palomo^[a] was born on 2 February 1940.^[2][1] Palomo earned her bachelor's degree for elementary education in 1970 at the University of Guam.^[2][3] At some point, she married future senator Robert "Bob" Klitzkie, adopting the name Lourdes Palomo Klitzkie.^[4][2] She later earned her master's degree in 1974 at the University of New Mexico. Five years later, she would earn her Doctor of Philosophy in special education at Utah State University.^[3]

Around the time of her graduation, Klitzkie, at the age of 39, took up long-distance running to combat boredom. At the time of her decision, she lived in Albequerque and her husband, Robert, was studying for the bar exam in California.^[5] She would go on and run fourteen marathons^[5] such as the Honolulu Marathon and Seiko Guam Marathon before the Summer Games.^[6][7][8] She qualified for the Guamanian team for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, after recording a time below the Guamanian qualifying standard of 3:30 in the marathon. In June 1988, upon learning that she had qualified, she stated "I couldn't believe it. I said, 'Boy I'm at the right place at the right time".^[7]

It would be Guam's first appearance at any edition of the Olympic Games.^[9] There, she would be the oldest woman on the Guamanian delegation and the oldest competitor in the women's marathon at the age of 48.^[7] She would compete in the event on 23 September against 69 competitors that started in the event. There, she finished with a time of 3:25:32 for a new personal best,^[1] and placed 63rd out of the 64 competitors that finished the race, placing ahead of compatriot Mariana Ysrael. After Klitzkie had entered the Seoul Olympic Stadium, she received a standing ovation from the crowd, stating: "I felt like I was a winner".^[10][7]

Two years after the 1988 Summer Games, she lived in Yigo.^[11] She later became a Professor Emeritus at the University of Guam.^[2][12]

• Lourdes Klitzkie at Olympedia