Gustavo Gomes de Mendonça (© CBAt)
In a new confirmation of it’s superiority, Brazil was clearly the top nation of the 35th edition of the South American Junior Championships, held for the second time in the history of the event in Ecuador – and first in Guayaquil – over this past weekend at the track of the “Estadio Modelo”, located in the coast of the country, at sea level.
Brazil has dominated this competition since 1972, and Guayaquil saw the extension of that streak with a total figure of 60 medals (26 golds), followed by Argentina with 15 medals (6 golds) and Venezuela with 17 (4 golds).
Only 2 Area Records for the Sub-20 category were beaten, and both by 19 year-old Brazilian Gustavo Gomes de Mendonça in the Shot and the Discus.
Using the light implements, de Mendonça improved the 1984 record of the Shot (6Kg) with a put of 19.67m, to erase the mark set by another Brazilian, José Araújo de Souza.
Then, in the Discus (1.75Kg), de Mendonça went beyond the 60 meters barrier for the first time, and set a mark of 62.29, improving his own 58.09m recorded 3 weeks ago at the Brazilian National Junior Championships in Londrina.
Also 3 records of the Under-18 category were improved, showing the possible potential that South America could have at the Sherbrooke IAAF World Youth Championships.
Uruguay’s Andrés Silva (b. 26.3.86) took the victory in the 400 meters with a National Record mark of 46.54.
Silva represents Uruguay’s best athletics hope since the days of Steeplechaser Ricardo Vera Rebollo, an Olympic finalist in Barcelona 1992, a World’s finalist in Stuttgart 1993, and a Pan American Games Silver medalist (1991), who had a personal best of 8:23.02.
Those achievements have not been matched in a country of a population of just over 3 million people, and Silva’s potential seems to be destined to leave his mark in the near future.
Also with a huge potential appears Argentinean vaulter Germán Chiaraviglio, who at the age of 16 (b. 16.4.87) set a National junior record with a 5.16 meters mark, to also take the victory in his event. Chiaraviglio is the son of Guillermo Chiaraviglio, one if the coaches of the Argentinean team, who himself was a 4.50 vaulter. Germán’s brother, Guillermo (son) also a vaulter, was third with 4.65m.
The third U-18 South American record, was set in the Javelin by Argentinean Mariela Aguer (b 24.10.86), with a throw of 48.20 meters.
Still, the best performances of the meet were obtained by 2 very talented sprinters, Brazil’s Jorge Célio da Rocha Sena, and Venezuela’s Wilmary Álvarez.
Sena (b. 31.1.85) won the 100 meters in 10.45, and is just coming from improving the Area Junior record in the event with a 10.35 mark set at the Brazilian Juniors. He also took the victory in the 200m (21.32) and was part of his country’s 4x100 relay (41.19).
Álvarez (b. 13.5.84) won the women's 200 meters in 23.68 (a new National record), took second in the 100m, with 11.68, behind Brazil’s Evelyn Carolina dos Santos (11.66), and was part in both relays, which both came in second place.
Other good performances were achieved by Brazil’s Júlio César de Oliveira in the Javelin (70.94m), Amanda Fontes Dias (59.38 in 400mh) and Zenaide Vieira (10:37.38 in 3000m St), Venezuela’s Ángela Alfonzo (54.50 in 400m) and Adriana Benaventa (55.39 in HT), and Argentina’s Paola Cheppi (15.11 in SP, a new national record).
The hosts’ only gold medal was obtained by walker Patricio Ortega, who beat Chile’s Carlos Borgoño in a very tight finish.
The champions
Men. 100m (0.0): Jorge Sena BRA 10.45; 200m (2.0): Jorge Sena BRA 21.32; 400m: Andrés Silva URU 46.54; 800m: Thiago Chyaromont BRA 1:51.41; 1500m: Matías Carranza ARG 3:54.3; 5000m: Gilialdo Koball BRA 14:43.2; 10000m: Davis Sánchez VEN 31:21.8; 3000m St: Rodolfo Hass BRA 9:02.23; 110mh (1.0): Rodrigo Pereira BRA 14.19; 400mh: Ricardo Silva BRA 52.81; HJ: Fábio Baptista BRA 2.09; PV: Germán Chiaraviglio ARG 5.16*; LJ: Thiago Dias BRA 7.51/0.2; TJ: Leonardo dos Santos 15.89; SP (6Kg): Gustavo de Mendonça BRA 19.67*; DT (1.75Kg): Gustavo de Mendonça BRA 62.29; HT (6Kg): Leandro Benetti ARG 66.69; JT: Júlio César de Oliveira BRA 70.94; Dec (Junior): Matías López ARG 6749*; 4x100m: BRA 41.19; 4x400 BRA: 3:14.03; 10000m W: Patricio Ortega ECU 44:07.5.
Women. 100m (0.0):Evelyn dos Santos BRA 11.66; 200m: Wilmary Álvarez VEN 23.68; 400m: Ángela Alfonzo VEN 54.50; 800m: Rejane da Silva BRA 2:11.16; 1500m: Rejane da Silva BRA 4:32.2; 3000m: Inés Melchor PER 9:58.83; 5000m: Inés Melchor PER 16:57.0; 3000m St: Zenaide Vieira BRA 10:37.38*; 400mh: Amanda Dias BRA 59.38; HJ: Katerina Ibargüen COL 1.80; PV: Karla da Silva BRA 3.85; LJ: Macarena Reyes CHI 6.10/1.3; TJ: Katerina Ibargüen COL 13.05/2.0; SP: Paola Cheppi ARG 15.11; DT: Roberta Argentino BRA 42.36; Adriana Benaventa VEN 55.39; JT: Mariela Aguer ARG 48.20; Hep: Jaílma de Lima BRA 4979; 4x100m: CHI 46.54; 4x400m: BRA 3:42.24; 10000m W: Alessandra Picagevicz 49:22.7*.
* Championship Record.
