Carlos Della Penna Misses Out on Youth South American Games After Archery Rule Infraction

Carlos Della Penna, a 16-year-old archer from Gualeguaychú, Argentina, was prevented from competing in the men’s compound archery event at the 2026 Youth South American Games in Panama due to a pre-competition rules violation.

According to reports from his coach, Darío Valli, Della Penna shot two arrows above the field containment during practice sessions prior to the official competition start. This action violated safety regulations, leading officials to disqualify him from participating in the qualification round.

The incident occurred just hours before Della Penna was scheduled to begin his event in the compound bow category. His name appeared on the official start list with the designation DNS (Did Not Start), confirming he did not begin the competition.

Because he missed the qualification round—a mandatory stage for seeding competitors—Della Penna was automatically excluded from the mixed team compound event, where he was set to compete alongside Argentine archer María Giménez.

Della Penna had earned his spot on Argentina’s team through strong performances in national selection events. In 2025, he won gold and silver medals at the South American Youth and Master Open Championships. The previous year, in 2024, he set a continental record in the under-15 barebow category during a competition in Puerto Iguazú.

His selection for the Youth South American Games came after winning the sole available quota in men’s compound archery at the U18 evaluation event organized by the Argentine Archery Federation (FATARCO). The selection process, communicated via Official Communication 031/26 from the national technical committee headed by Rodrigo Cabrera, confirmed his place on the team.

The Youth South American Games Panama 2026 were scheduled to run from April 12 to April 25, 2026, featuring approximately 250 athletes representing Argentina across various sports.

Despite his preparation and high expectations heading into the competition, Della Penna’s early exit due to the practice range incident meant he was unable to participate in any events at the multisport continental competition.

The situation had a notable emotional impact on the young athlete, who had arrived in Panama with aspirations of medaling and gaining valuable international experience.

As of now, there are no confirmed updates regarding Della Penna’s immediate future competitions or next steps in his archery development following this incident.

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