Universidad de Chile’s athletic delegations secured multiple podium finishes across chess, cross country, and judo during the national university championships held from late September through early October 2026 in Antofagasta, Santiago, and Valdivia.
Chess Teams Claim Second Place in Antofagasta
The chess delegation traveled to Antofagasta for the Campeonato Nacional Universitario, running from September 28 to October 1, 2026. Nine universities competed across classical, rapid, and blitz formats. Universidad de Chile placed second overall in the team competition.
In the individual classical tournament, César Chacón, a Business and Information Control Management student, won the silver medal with 5.5 points. Maximiliano Galleguillos, a Mathematical Civil Engineering student, earned the bronze medal with 5 points and also secured a bronze in the blitz category.
Camilo Henríquez, a psychology student, noted the unique structure of the competition. He stated that the tournament required frequent adjustments between three different time controls, demanding constant shifts in strategy and board evaluation despite physical fatigue.
Cross Country Squads Earn Silver and Bronze in Santiago
On October 2, 2026, the Campus San Joaquín of the Pontificia Universidad Católica hosted the cross country national championship. The Universidad de Chile women’s team claimed the silver medal with 43 points, while the men’s team secured bronze with 52 units.
In the mixed relay, Irma Scheihing, Ángeles Vega, Vicente Cea, and Agustín Cordero finished third with a time of 27 minutes and 51 seconds.
Rocío Silva, a medical student and captain of the women’s team, described the course as demanding, specifically noting the difficulty of the water section. Fernando Fritz, a civil mining engineering student and men’s team captain, acknowledged that while the event presented physical challenges, the squad ran close to their personal best marks.
Judo Competitors Bring Home Medals from Valdivia
Judo athletes traveled to the Campus Isla Teja at the Universidad Austral de Chile in Valdivia for competitions held on October 1 and 2, 2026. Universidad de Chile finished third in the men’s team competition to take home the bronze medal.
Individually, Matías Sandoval, an anthropology and archaeology student, won the gold medal in the under-73 kilogram weight category, rounding out a successful nationwide campaign for the university’s sports programs in the 2026 season.
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