Herrera, Azevedo and Linares shine, Brazil dominates South American Indoor Championships

Two South American records and nine championship records were improved at the South American Indoor Championships at the Estadio Municipal in Cochabamba, Bolivia, on Saturday (28) and Sunday (1).

Ecuador’s Marcos Herrera and Brazil’s Ana Carolina Azevedo delivered the area records of the event. Herrera won the 60m hurdles in 7.57 over Brazilians Rafael Pereira (7.62) and Eduardo Rodrigues (7.67) on Sunday. Both Brazilians held the previous top mark, 7.58, achieved on six occasions. Azevedo, meanwhile, took the 60m in 7.09 on Saturday, bettering the South American indoor record of 7.14 set by Vitória Rosa in 2022. Azevedo recently ran 7.05, also a South American record, in an outdoor meeting in São Paulo.

Colombia’s world bronze medallist Natalia Linares dominated a very competitive long jump competition with a championship record and national indoor best of 6.73m (series: 6.72m, 6.70m, 6.73m, 6.71m, 6,67m, 6.46m). Her compatriot Martha Araújo, seventh in the heptathlon at the Olympic Games in Paris, was second with a personal best of 6.71m, while Puerto Rican Alysbeth Félix, competing as a guest, was third with 6.64m – a national best.

Colombian María Fernanda Murillo captured the 60m hurdles title in 8.01, a championship record.

Chilean Ivana Gallardo won the shot put with 18.02m, another championship record and national indoor best.

Brazilian athletes won 15 titles in total. Matheus Lima, who was sixth at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, set a championship record in the 400m by winning heat two in 45.82, just 0.03 off his own area record, on Saturday. On Sunday, Lima won the final in 45.85.

His compatriot Gabriel Aparecido dos Santos emulated him at 60m as he won his first South American gold in 6.56 ahead of Venezuelan Bryant Alamo, who set a national record of 6.59.

Further success for Brazil came in the triple jump, as Elton Petronilho triumphed over Almir Cunha dos Santos with a personal best of 17.05m to Dos Santos’ 16.43m. Roberta Almeida dos Santos also set a championship record in the pentathlon with 4117 points (9.04 60m hurdles, 1.83m high jump, 13.81m shot put, 5.97m long jump, 2:39.55 800m), putting her third on the South American all-time list.

At 800m, two-time South American champion Eduardo Ribeiro Moreira improved the championship record to 1:47.58, a short track PB. Wellington Morais grabbed the victory in the shot put, to secure his second indoor title with 20.76m.

The Estadio Municipal in Cochabamba is located at 2577 metres above sea level and is the only approved indoor venue in South America.

Eduardo Biscayart for World Athletics