Santa Cruz has sent a delegation of 50 athletes to compete in the IV Juegos de la Integración Patagónica (JIP), which began on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Tierra del Fuego province. The provincial team is participating in Olympic weightlifting, conventional and adaptive archery, and conventional and adaptive table tennis in Río Grande, whereas badminton events are being held in Ushuaia.
The delegation departed on April 20, 2026, as confirmed by a provincial sports office Instagram post showing the team’s departure for the competition. According to the event schedule, Olympic weightlifting competitions are taking place at the Jorge Muriel Gymnasium in Río Grande from April 21-23, 2026, with specific weight classes contested each day.
On the first day of competition, April 21, the 55 kg women’s weightlifting event was held at 3:00 PM local time, followed by the 67 kg men’s event at 4:00 PM, the 64 kg women’s event at 5:00 PM, and an award ceremony at 6:30 PM. The opening ceremony took place that evening at 8:00 PM at the Casa del Deporte in Río Grande.
April 22 featured the 81 kg men’s weightlifting event at 5:00 PM, the women’s +64 kg category at 6:00 PM, and the men’s +81 kg category at 7:00 PM, with another award ceremony at 8:30 PM. The competition includes both conventional and adaptive (PCd) divisions for weightlifting, archery, and table tennis, while badminton in Ushuaia also offers both categories.
In addition to the main JIP events, related competitions are being held in other Patagonian provinces: Olympic wrestling and taekwondo in Caleta Olivia, climbing, artistic gymnastics, and tennis in Río Gallegos, and swimming events as part of the 19th EPaDe Games in Neuquén, which will continue in Viedma and Santa Rosa later in May 2026.
The Jorge Muriel Gymnasium in Río Grande previously hosted the weightlifting competition during the previous edition of the Games, while table tennis has moved from Río Gallegos to the IMA Polideportivo for this edition. The event brings together athletes from Santa Cruz, La Pampa, Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, and Tierra del Fuego for regional integration through sport.
As the competition progresses through April 23, 2026, Santa Cruz’s 50-athlete delegation continues to compete across the various disciplines, representing the province in this biennial Patagonian sporting integration event.
Stay tuned for updates on the delegation’s performance and final results from the Juegos de la Integración Patagónica.
