Paraguay Captures 20 Medals in Santa Fe Debut
Mist hangs low over the Santa Fe waterways as Paraguay’s delegation surges ahead, collecting twenty gleaming awards in the opening week.
The mist lifts off the water in Santa Fe, revealing a delegation that refuses to fade into the background. Team Paraguay has surged to twenty medals in the opening week of the XIII South American Games, a tally built on raw speed and steady strokes. The atmosphere is thick with anticipation, but the results are already etched in record books. Friday, September 18, became a day of consolidation, with three new gold medals swelling the national count. It is a performance that echoes through the venue, a physical testament to the effort poured into every meter and every stroke.
As reported by GN sports/rowing (en-US), the national team now holds five gold, six silver, and nine bronze across twelve different sports. The momentum is undeniable. Nicole Martínez and Sofía García emerged as South American champions in their respective disciplines, driving the total from seventeen to twenty during the day’s events. The scene is one of controlled intensity, where every drop of sweat translates into a place on the podium.
Gold Medals Define The Week
Erika Alarcón carved her name into the first gold of the Games, dominating the women’s Solo Dance in artistic skating with a score of 145.76. Her performance was precise, leaving Brazil’s Gabriela Giraldi and Argentina’s Delfina Veljanovich behind. In the speed skating arena, Julio César Mirena displayed explosive power, taking silver in the 1,000m sprint before exploding in the 10,000m elimination event. His clock stopped at 16:15.945, securing Paraguay’s second gold with a display of endurance that left the track silent.
On the water, Nicole Martínez found her rhythm in the women’s single sculls. Her time of 7:03.08 was a masterclass in efficiency, edging out Brazil’s Beatriz Tavares and Uruguay’s Nicole Yarzon. This was her fourth medal of the Games, a testament to her consistent presence at the front of the pack. In golf, Sofía García commanded the course, finishing four rounds with 275 strokes and 13 under par. Her individual gold was soon followed by a team triumph, as she joined Milagros Chaves, Gustavo Silvero, and Marcelo Ruiz to win the mixed team competition with 562 strokes, sealing the fifth gold.
Silver Medals Span Diverse Disciplines
The silver count reflects a breadth of talent that defies easy categorization. Agua Marina Espínola pushed the limits in the women’s individual road cycling time trial, finishing 12.55 seconds behind Chile’s Aranza Villalón. Her effort was a grueling test of stamina on the open road. Back in the skating rink, Mirena’s earlier silver in the 1,000m sprint stood as a precursor to his later gold, showing a range of capabilities that few athletes possess.
Rowing provided two more silvers, as Martínez and Alejandra Alonso paired up in the women’s pair to record 7:19.28. Meanwhile, Rocío Bordón and Adriana Sanabria navigated the lightweight women’s double sculls with a time of 7:03.52. In bocce, Thaila Kreuz and Marcos Moreira fought to the bitter end in mixed Punta Raffa Volo, falling just short against Chile’s Franca Martini and Rodolfo Gálvez. On the sand, Michelle Valiente and Giuliana Poletti battled hard in beach volleyball, losing a tight final to Brazil’s Carol and Rebecca, with scores of 21–14 and 21–17.
Bronze Medals Round Out The Tally
The bronze medals tell a story of near-misses and resilient finishing. Charles Hockin claimed the first medal of the Games in the men’s 50m backstroke, swimming 25.99 seconds to hold off Brazilian rivals. Alexandro Liuzzi lifted 227kg in the men’s 60kg weightlifting category, a feat of pure strength that earned him a place on the podium. In fencing, Montserrat Viveros engaged in a tense épée bout, reaching the semi-finals before falling narrowly to Argentina’s Isabel Di Tella in a 15–14 contest.
The list extends into digital and traditional fields alike. Verónica Chávez secured Paraguay’s first South American Games medal in esports, reaching the semi-finals of the women’s EA Sports FC event. In bocce, Mariel Alves de Oliveira added another bronze in the men’s progressive shooting event. The day concluded with a powerful display in the women’s eight, where a crew of eight rowers and a coxswain finished in 6:08.77, securing the final bronze of the day and completing a historic opening week.
