For the five days leading up to the highly anticipated 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match featuring Mexico and Panama, some of ESPN Deportes’ most familiar male anchors were absent from their normal roles.
No, they hadn’t abandoned the studio to stalk El Tri for pre-game interviews. They’d been bumped from their regular duties by some of the network’s leading ladies as part of ESPN Deportes’ fourth annual “Semana de la Mujer” — its five-day salute to women in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
From Oct. 7-11, Andrea Monsalve, Carolina Guillen and Carolina Padron served as the key anchors of ESPN Deportes’ popular SportsCenter, which airs at 11 p.m. ET. The boost in stature for the trio rolls into the network’s recognition of women as integral figures in all aspects of sports.
“Like breast cancer awareness, female participation in sports has risen in 20th century,” ESPN said in a prepared statement. “In addition to daily news and analysis and special interviews, the ESPN ladies provided pieces around women’s experiences and their role in the sports world today.”
Special segments and features centered on such internationally renowned female sports figures as Olympic gold medalist and BMX world champion Mariana Pajon, current International Racquetball Federation world champion Paola Longoria, retired Mexican track-and-field star Ana Gabriela Guevara, Brazilian IndyCar driver Bia Figueiredo and silver medalist diver Alejandra Orozco.
Meanwhile, ESPN Deportes turned to Claudia Trejos and Georgina Ruiz Sandoval for reports from ESPN Headquarters in Bristol, Conn.; Vanessa Palacio and Andrea Schettino from Buenos Aires, Argentina; Gemma Soler from Spain; and to Mexico City for reports from reporters Karin Ontiveros, Mónica Arredondo, Katia Castorena, Marisa Lara, Kary Correa and Nelly Simón.
Monsalve’s main role at ESPN Deportes is as co-host alongside David Faitelson for Nación ESPN, a fan-driven sports talk program. Guillén serves as host of #Redes, the network’s recently introduced late-night social media-driven and multiscreen sports show; as co-host of weekly baseball news and highlights program Béisbol Esta Noche; and of news and commentary program Juego Cruzado. Padrón joined ESPN Deportes in December 2010 as co-host of SportsCenter after a stint at Venezuela-based sports net Meridiano Televisión.
