Brazil wins golds in tennis and canoeing slalom at Pan de Santiago

Between Saturday night (28) and Sunday morning (29), the Brazilian delegation collected another 15 medals at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Highlights include tennis and canoeing slalom, in which the country was at the top of the podium.

In tennis, Brazil dominated the doubles tournaments, with two golds and one silver. In the women’s category, Luísa Stefani and Laura Pigossi – bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, in Japan, in 2021 – defeated Colombians Fernanda Herazo and Paulina Perez by 2 sets to 0, with scores of 7/5 and 6/3. The country has not had a winning partnership between women at the Pan since the 2003 edition, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with Bruna Colósio and Joana Cortez.

This Sunday, at 5pm (Brasília time), Laura is looking for gold in the individual, against Argentine Lourdes Carlé. On Saturday, hours before going to the court with Luísa, she fought a battle lasting more than three hours against fellow Argentine Júlia Riera, in the semifinals.

The victory by 2 sets to 1, with partials of 4/6, 6/4 and 7/6 (7/5), qualified Laura for the Paris Olympics, in France, in 2024. To maintain her place, the Brazilian needs remain among the top 400 in the ranking singles match of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). She is currently in 125th position.

The title drought in men’s doubles at the Pan, which was even greater than in women’s, came to an end thanks to the hard-earned victory of Marcelo Demoliner and Gustavo Heide, by 2 sets to 1, with partials of 6/1, 2/6 and 10 -7 (in doubles, the last set is played in a “super tie-break” format, in which whoever reaches ten points first wins), over the Chilean hosts Alejandro Tabilo and Tomas Barrios.

The last national partnership to win the competition between men was that of André Sá and Paulo Taicher, in the Winnipeg edition, in Canada, 24 years ago.

The singles contest had a 100% Brazilian duel worth bronze, between the young Heide, aged 21, runner-up in last year’s South American Games, and the experienced Thiago Monteiro, aged 29, who spent a good part of the last seven seasons among the top one hundred in the ranking of the Association of Professional Tennis Players (ATP). On the Chilean clay court, the result was better for the veteran, who won by 2 sets to 1, partials of 1/6, 6/3 and 7/6 (7/5).

In mixed doubles, Brazil took silver. Hours after taking to the court in their respective finals, Luisa and Demoliner faced Colombians Nicolas Barrientos and Yulia Lizarazo, who won by 2 sets to 0, partials of 6/3 and 6/4.

Slalom canoeing

Champion of the Pan American Games in the editions of Toronto, Canada, in 2015; and from Lima, Peru, in 2019, Ana Sátila secured, for the third time, the gold medal in canoeing slalom in C1 (individual canoe). Fifth place in this year’s World Cup, the Brazilian was already the main favorite in the race and left behind Canadian Lois Betteridge (silver) and Paraguayan Ana Paula Castro (bronze).

Ana also shined in kayak cross, in which four athletes compete against each other at the same time (in the “traditional” slalom, kayakers face the descent individually). She beat North American Evy Leibfarth (silver) and, again, Canadian Betteridge (bronze).

In the same event, but among men, the gold medal also went to a Brazilian: Guilherme Mapelli, who beat Alex Baldoni, from Canada; and Eriberto Robles, from Peru.

Brazil won another three silvers in the sport. In the men’s C1, Kauã Silva received a two-second penalty for touching one of the obstacles at the end of the course, which cost him the gold medal. North American Zachary Lokken ended up in first place, with a time less than two seconds below that recorded by Kauã.

In K1 (individual kayak), the silvers were obtained by Omira Estácia (who is Ana Sátila’s sister) and Pedro Gonçalves. Omira finished second in the women’s final, surpassed by North American Leibfarth, but ahead of Canadian Lea Baldoni. Pepê, as the Brazilian canoeist is known, suffered three penalties of two seconds each throughout the descent and was behind Joshua Joseph, from the United States. The bronze went to Canadian Mael Rivard.

Equestrian CCE

The complete equestrian competition (CCE) is an equestrian event that brings together three different events: dressage, jumping and cross-country (in which the teams – rider and horse – are tested on their ability to overcome natural obstacles at high speed). In the team competition, the quartet from Brazil (Márcio Jorge Carvalho, Carlos Parro, Rafael Losano and Ruy Fonseca) won bronze.

The result guaranteed Brazil a place at the Paris Olympics. Only the first two qualified, but as the United States (which took silver) already had a guaranteed place in 2024, the Brazilians inherited the place. The gold in Santiago went to Canada.

In the individual competition, the Brazilian medal was silver, with Márcio Jorge and the horse Castle Howard Casanova. North American Caroline Pamukcu, riding HSH Blake, secured gold, with Canadian Lindsay Traisnel and her mount Bacyrouge taking bronze.

Open water and race walking

In open water swimming, Ana Marcela Cunha took the silver medal in the ten kilometers. The Olympic champion – who underwent shoulder surgery less than a year ago and spent eight months without competing – still tried to get closer at the end of the race, but was unable to catch the American Ashley Twichell, who won gold. There was a Brazilian double on the podium, with bronze for Viviane Jungblut.

The race was threatened with not taking place, due to the low water temperature (17ºC). Because of this, the athletes had to compete using rubber suits that keep the body warm, but also hinder the execution of movements.

“It was a very difficult race for me because it was precisely when I was wearing the suit that I got injured and I hadn’t used it for a year and six months. So, there is always that fear. The most important thing was that I swam at my own pace, in my own time, without feeling any pain. Of course, we always want to win gold, but the way I swam here left me quite satisfied”, commented Ana Marcela, to Team Brasil’s advisors.

In race walking, Caio Bonfim won silver in the 20 kilometer race, totaling three medals at the Pan American Games. He already had a bronze from Toronto and a silver from Lima. The Brazilian was just four hundredths behind Ecuadorian David Hurtado, who took gold. Mexican Eduardo Olivas completed the podium.

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