Argentina’s judo team delivered a standout performance at the IV Juegos Suramericanos de la Juventud Panamá 2026, securing four medals across two days of competition. The squad earned two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal, confirming its status as a regional powerhouse in youth judo.
On the opening day, April 14, 2026, Juan Martín Álamo Torres claimed Argentina’s first gold medal of the Games in the men’s -55 kg category. He defeated Venezuela’s Nelson Martínez by ippon in the final, which lasted just 56 seconds. Earlier in the tournament, Álamo Torres overcame Peru’s Benjamín Burnside in the quarterfinals during Golden Score and defeated Brazil’s Mohammad Hauache by ippon in the semifinals in only 46 seconds. The bronze medals in that division went to Hauache and Ecuador’s Juan Soriano.
Also on day one, Brisa Mercado finished fifth in the women’s -44 kg category after a competitive showing in her debut appearance at the Games.
The wrestling program contributed Argentina’s other two medals on April 14, with Benjamín Casas winning gold in men’s freestyle 71 kg and Santiago Chrisjohn earning bronze in men’s freestyle 60 kg.
On the second day, April 15, 2026, the judo team added two more podium finishes. Thiago Carvallo captured gold in the men’s -66 kg division, overcoming Ecuador’s Omar Campos in the quarterfinals by ippon at 3:20 and Peru’s Jesús Perea in the semifinals in just 28 seconds. In the final, Carvallo defeated Brazil’s Bruno Sacilotto by ippon in Golden Score after 10 minutes and 2 seconds of action. Sacilotto took silver, while Campos and Perea shared the bronze.
Maia Panunzio earned silver in the women’s -52 kg category. The 15-year-old judoka defeated Chile’s Ayinko Toloza by waza-ari in the quarterfinals and Panama’s Julieta Escobar by ippon in Golden Score during the semifinals. She lost the final to Brazil’s Lavinia Igaki by ippon, with Igaki claiming gold. Toloza and Venezuela’s Maylin Bolívar shared the bronze medals.
Yuma Zaira competed in the women’s -78 kg division on April 16, 2026, but was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Brazil’s Clarisse Vallim via waza-ari in Golden Score after 5 minutes and 15 seconds. She then lost the bronze medal match to Venezuela’s Saori Mattey by yuko at the end of regulation time, finishing fifth overall.
With two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal, Argentina’s judo delegation concluded its participation in Panama 2026 with a total of four podium finishes. The results underscored the depth and preparation of the national youth program, supported by the Comité Olímpico Argentino, the Secretaría de Deportes de la Nación, and ENARD in collaboration with national federations.
The team’s performance highlighted the effectiveness of Argentina’s high-performance development system for young athletes, particularly in individual combat sports where technical precision and mental resilience are critical.
As the Juegos Suramericanos de la Juventud Panamá 2026 progress, Argentina will look to build on this momentum in other disciplines, with judo having set an early benchmark for excellence and consistency.
Stay tuned to Archysport for continued coverage of the Games and updates on Argentina’s medal tally as competition continues through the week.
