Darlan Romani throws a world shot put lead and area indoor record at the 2022 South American Indoor Championships (© Carlos Quispe / Federacion Atletica de Bolivia)
Brazilians Darlan Romani and Rafael Campos Pereira delivered the best performances on the final day of the second edition of the South American Indoor Championships, which took place at the Estadio Municipal in Cochabamba, Bolivia, on 19-20 February.
The 2577m altitude of the venue proved to be a great environment for some of the high-quality results.
Romani – the South American shot put record-holder who was fourth at the 2018 World Athletics Indoor Championships, 2019 World Athletics Championships and 2020 Olympic Games – improved his own area indoor record to 21.71m with his winning performance in Cochabamba (20.27m, 20.87, 21.71m, 21.19m, 20.68m and 19.91m). His previous best indoors was 21.37m from 2018.
A world-leading performance, it is his second-best put since 2019.
"This is the result of our dedication, what we work for. I didn’t come here looking for a record, but I always have a good performance in mind. I am very happy, and I hope to get even better results this year," said the athlete born in Santa Catarina, whose lifetime best is 22.61m outdoors.
His compatriot Willian Venancio was second with his indoor best of 19.83m, while Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Carballo was third with 19.04m.
Pereira equals 60m hurdles record
Hurdler Pereira had a very positive campaign in 2021. Last year, the 24-year-old from Minas Gerais improved from 13.64 to 13.35, won the South American 110m hurdles title and competed at the Olympic Games. This season he has been even more inspired, and in Cochabamba Pereira won the 60m hurdles in 7.58, equaling his own South American indoor record for the third time in 2022.
© Carlos Quispe / Federacion Atletica de Bolivia
Brazilian Gabriel Constantino, the South American 110m hurdles record-holder, was second with 7.72, while Agustin Carrera from Argentina was third with a national record of 7.85.
"It is a great feeling to win the gold medal and to represent my country one more time," said Pereira. "This was my sixth competition of the year, coming from five meets in Europe. It was very nice to repeat my best result. I have always looked up to Gabriel; besides being a great athlete, he is a very good friend."
Brazil had a very fruitful second day, with more victories coming from Tabata de Carvalho and Lucas Carvalho at 400m with 54.81 and 46.85, an indoor personal best, respectively; Ketiley Batista at 60m hurdles with 8.41; Sarah Freitas and Thiago Julio Alfano Moura in the high jump with 1.79m and 2.22m respectively; Isabel de Quadros in the pole vault with 4.10m; Gabriele dos Santos and Alexsandro Melo in the triple jump with 13.89m and 16.62m; and Felipe Vinicius dos Santos in the heptathlon with 5799 points (6.75 60m, 7.10m long kump, 14.00m shot put, 2.00m high jump, 7.78 60m hurdles, 4.70m pole vault and 3:06.71 1000m), a personal best.
National record for Mandros
Peruvian Jose Luis Mandros also delivered one of the best performances of the meet by winning the long jump with 8.17m, a national record that improves both the outdoor and indoor marks. The 23-year-old from Lima had a fierce battle with Uruguayan Emiliano Lasa, who was second with 8.10m, a national indoor record.
Lasa dominated the first part of the competition. The 32-year-old had a foul in his first jump, took the lead in round two with 8.08m and extended it to 8.10m in round three, but didn’t improve later. He passed his fourth attempt, fouled the fifth and only managed 7.94m in his last. Mandros, coming from setting a national record on Friday with 8.09m at the test event held by the Bolivian Federation in Cochabamba, opened with 7.96m, followed by 8.06m and 8.04m. He overtook the lead in round four with 8.12m, a national record, fouled his fifth attempt and closed with 8.17, another national record.
The Peruvian, who is now based in Madrid, has been directed by Cuban Luis Felipe Meliz for the past two months, but travelled to Cochabamba with the man who had been guiding him in Peru, Abdel de la Torre. His gold in the long jump is the third by a Peruvian man at a South American senior championships, after the ones achieved outdoors by Guillermo Dyer in 1941 and Jorge McFarlane in 2011.
After two victories on the first day, Bolivian runners added three gold medals on Sunday. Daniel Toroya and Lizeth Veizaga won the 3000m in 8:38.29 and 10:47.84 respectively, while the women’s 4x400m relay team was victorious with 3:47.37, setting a South American record.
Venezuela also had a positive second day, with triumphs from Lucirio Garrido at 800m with 1:52.12 and the men’s 4x400m relay team in 3:16.91. Uruguay’s Deborah Rodriguez provided a sole gold for her country with a tactical victory at 800m in 2:18.23.
Brazilian athletes dominated the event, obtaining 36 medals (16 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze). Bolivia was the second nation with 11 (5, 4, 2), followed by Venezuela with eight (2, 4, 2), Peru with four (1, 2, 1), Uruguay with two (1, 1, 0), Panama with one (1, 0, 0), Argentina with eight (0, 2, 6), Chile with three (0, 2, 1) and Ecuador with one (0, 1, 0).
Eduardo Biscayart for World Athletics
