Lucas Garcés secured a silver medal for Argentina in the men’s compound team archery event at the ODESUR Games Santa Fe 2026, helping lift the San Juan provincial delegation’s overall medal count to seven. Competing alongside teammates Iván Nikolajuk and Nelson Salinas, Garcés reached the final where the Argentine trio fell narrowly to Colombia by a score of 231 to 228.
Silver Medal Finish in the Men’s Compound Team Final
The Argentine archery team put up a fierce fight in the gold-medal match against Colombia at the Santa Fe 2026 South American Games. In a tightly contested battle that came down to the final arrows, Colombia edged out the victory at 231-228, leaving the Argentine squad with a hard-earned silver medal. Venezuela rounded out the podium by taking the bronze medal in the discipline.
Individually, Garcés put on a sharp performance across his eight arrows in the final round. Records from the competition show he landed four shots in the absolute center for a maximum score of 10, finishing with a strong personal average of 9.5 points per shot.
Exceeding the Asunción 2022 Medal Count for San Juan
Garcés’s silver medal marks the seventh podium finish for a San Juan athlete at the Santa Fe Games, officially surpassing the province’s total of six medals from the previous South American Games held in Asunción in 2022. The local delegation’s successful run in Santa Fe features strong showings across multiple sports disciplines.
Other San Juan competitors contributing to Argentina’s medal tally include Delfina Dibella and Mateo Kalejman in individual road time-trial cycling, Gonzalo Molina in BMX Racing, and Maribel Aguirre in the track cycling Madison event. Rubén Ramos Meglioli also captured a gold medal in the Madison alongside a podium finish in the team pursuit.
Next Steps in the Competition Calendar
The regional delegation’s pursuit of medals in Santa Fe is far from over. Garcés will return to the shooting line to continue his campaign in the individual archery elimination bracket, where he aims to add another podium finish to his record.
Meanwhile, San Juan representation remains active in team sports as indoor volleyball players Samuel Guidi Correa and Benjamín Flores advance to the semifinal rounds of their tournament. Official updates on schedules and results will follow as the remaining events unfold.
