The Chile women’s table tennis team captured the gold medal at the South American Games Santa Fe 2026, defeating Brazil 8-0 in the final on Saturday. The victory secured the delegation’s 49th gold medal of the multi-sport event.
Historic Finish and Medal Count Implications
The decisive win on the final day of competition pushed Team Chile past Venezuela in the overall standings, cementing fourth place in the medal table. With 49 gold medals secured, the delegation stands just one shy of the historic national record of 50 gold medals achieved at the 1986 Santiago Games.
The gold-winning roster featured Daniela Ortega, Paulina Vega, and Valentina Ríos, who swept the Brazilian side in the closing showdown. For the 28-year-old Ortega, the triumph marks a continuation of her success following the Asunción 2022 Games, closing her tournament run with three gold medals and one silver.
“I am very happy. We are back-to-back team champions,” Ortega said following the victory. “I take home three golds and a silver again, doing the same as the last Games, but changing the bronze for a silver. I arrived in the best mental shape and it showed.”
Adapting to a New Competitive Format
The tournament introduced a new competitive structure for team matches, presenting distinct tactical challenges across high-intensity sets. Players noted the relentless pace demanded absolute concentration from the opening rally.
“Very tense. There is no truce in any of the sets, every point has to be fought,” Vega explained regarding the new system. The 42-year-old veteran emphasized the importance of team depth under the pressure. “We knew we had a team behind us and that if one fell in a set, the other would try to fight with everything she had for the next one.”
Ríos echoed those sentiments, highlighting the adjustments required for the doubles pairings. “It is the first time I play this system, so it is super tense. It starts with doubles and it’s the first time I play doubles with Paulina,” Ríos noted. “In a final, playing like this, I think we had never played a doubles match like this, but things happen because you train for them.”
Men’s Team Secures Bronze
Earlier in the concluding phase of the discipline, the Chile men’s table tennis team also added to the medal haul. The trio of Nicolás Burgos, Gustavo Gómez, and Felipe Olivares claimed the bronze medal after dropping their semifinal match against Brazil by an 8-1 scoreline.
Coached by the technical staff of José Luis Urrutia, Marcelo Fernández, and Beatriz Campillay, the table tennis delegation concluded the South American Games with a combined total of seven medals.
Worth a look
