Orangy Jimenez wins the 200m at the South American Games in Santa Fe (© Oscar Muñoz Badilla)
Ronal Longa and Orangy Jimenez completed a triple crown in the sprints, while Valentin Soca and Micaela Levaggi achieved a double victory in the distance events at the South American Games in Santa Fe, Argentina, where athletics action concluded on Friday (25).
The 100m winner on the opening day of athletics, South American record-holder Longa added a second gold in the 200m in 20.43 and anchored the Colombian team to a close victory in the 4x100m relay.
“I love individual races, but there’s something special to compete as part of a team. It’s nice to end the season with a team win,” said Longa.
After a double victory in the 100m and mixed 4x100m on the opening day, Venezuela’s Jimenez sped to a comfortable victory in the 200m with a Games record of 22.63, a personal best and only a tenth of a second off the 14-year-old national record held by Olympian Nercely Soto.
The home crowd celebrated Levaggi’s second gold of the week as she won the 5000m in 15:48.73. Despite falling at the last barrier before the water jump on the last lap, Levaggi also managed to finish third in the 3000m steeplechase, a race won by her compatriot and defending champion Belen Casetta in a Games record of 9:35.44.
Uruguay’s Soca achieved a similar feat in both distances. The World Indoor Championships finalist moved away from his fellow Uruguayan and defending champion Santiago Catrofe on the last lap. Soca crossed the line in 13:26.53, almost half a minute faster than the previous Games record set by Catrofe in 2022.
Both runners celebrated a historic day for their country as they were joined by 800m runner Deborah Rodriguez and long jumper Emiliano Lasa, both silver medal winners later in the day in their fifth participation at the South American Games.
Another decorated athlete in the region, four-time Olympian and 2024 Olympic finalist Rosa Rodriguez, competed in her fifth Games, 20 years after her debut in Buenos Aires. A two-time winner and defending champion, the 40-year-old clinched the bronze medal in the hammer – won by Colombia’s Mayra Gaviria (66.35m).
Lars Flaming of Paraguay produced the competition of his life. The Pan American champion and former decathlete surpassed 82 metres four times in the javelin final, including a massive 84.36m effort – a personal best by more than a metre and a half and over four metres beyond the previous Games record.
A historic win for the host nation came in the mixed 4x400m. A day after his false start disqualification in the 400m final, national record-holder and 2022 champion Elian Larregina ran a 44.54 split to move from fourth to the lead at the last hand-off. Individual bronze medallist Megan Powell held on to cross the line first in a national and Games record of 3:16.93. Agustin Pinti and Maria Lamboglia completed the team.
Other Games records fell on the last two days of competition. The record-breakers were Elton Dos Santos in the triple jump (16.84m) and Matheus Lima (48.58) and South American record-holder Gianna Woodruff (54.11) in the 400m hurdles. The Colombian women set a new standard in the 4x100m relay with 44.36 and the Venezuelan 4x400m quartet also rewrote the Games standard with 3:03.38.
Didier Rodriguez completed a historic Games for Panama with his victory in the 3000m steeplechase in a Games record of 8:31.89, the fourth title for his nation.
All gold medal winners secured their qualification to the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.
Brazil topped the medal tally with 38 medals (14 gold, 15 silver and nine bronze), followed by Colombia (8-5-7), Venezuela, Chile, Argentina and Panama with four gold medals each. Thirteen of the 15 participating nations won at least one medal.
Javier Clavelo Robinson for World Athletics
