South American Games: Colombia finishes second in the medal table

This Saturday ended XII South American Games Asuncion 2022after 15 days of competition in 34 sports and 53 modalities. Brazil swept the medal table, adding a total of 319 medals in the general table, of which 133 were gold, 100 silver and 86 bronze. This sets an advance compared to what was shown in the previous edition held in 2018 in Cochabamba, Bolivia, when they finished in second place with a total of 204 medals. It should be remembered that the best record of the South American giant in the history of the South Americans is still that of the 2002 edition where they served as hosts. On that occasion, the total number of medals reached 333.

Colombia finished in second place, adding a total of 255 medals, of which 79 are gold, 78 silver and 98 bronze. In the previous edition of 2018, the national delegation had placed first with 239 medals.

The main source of medals for the country during jousting came from track cycling with nine golds, and in racing skating with a total of eight. In weightlifting they climbed to the top of the podium five times, in a more even dispute with Venezuela and Ecuador, who finished with four gold medals each.

Among the most awarded of the Colombian team stands out Lina Marcela Hernández, with three golds and two silvers in track cycling and who had already had an outstanding performance at the Junior Pan American Games, held in 2021 in the city of Cali. They also highlighted Viviana Andrea Uribe Y Luis Felipe Uribe Bermudezboth with three golds each in the dives.

Also noteworthy are the bronze medals obtained in U-20 men’s and women’s football, and the gold medal of the women’s basketball team, the only one in Colombia in team sports. Very outstanding was also the gold medal that she obtained Mariana Pajon in BMX cycling, at a time when his participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Other Olympic medalists, Ingrid Valencia in boxing and Jossimar Calvo in rhythmic gymnastics, they also hung gold.

The dominance of Brazil in the South Americans, seconded by Colombia, marked an absolute dominance of both delegations. And it is that Colombia’s 79 gold medals represent 20% of the gold medals delivered in Asunción. For its part, Brazil won 32.9% of the gold medals, which means that between them they kept 52.9% of the disputed golds.

In third place was Argentina with a harvest of 197 medals, 58 gold, 65 silver and 74 bronze.

Chile was fourth with 131 medals (38 gold) and Venezuela fifth with the same number of medals as the southern country but with less gold (31).

According to what was reported by the National Secretariat of Tourism of Paraguay (Senatur), the sports fair motivated the entry of some 80,000 foreigners to Paraguay, who for two weeks followed the different competitions.

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