At the XIII South American Games Santa Fe 2026, athletes representing the province of Neuquén secured a total of 10 medals across eight different disciplines, marking one of the region’s most productive multi-sport performances. Competing in venues across Rosario, Santa Fe, and Rafaela, the 11-member provincial delegation captured three gold medals, one silver medal, and six bronze medals before competition concluded ahead of the closing ceremony.
Medal Breakdown Across Eight Disciplines
The provincial delegation’s ten-medal haul established podium finishes in patín carrera, esports, taekwondo, archery, BMX freestyle, cycling, canoe slalom, and squash. Three athletes claimed gold: Benjamín Gader in the 5,000-meter points race for speed skating in Rosario; Facundo Adrián Chávez as part of Argentina’s Valorant esports team, which went undefeated in the group stage before defeating Colombia and Chile 2-1; and José Luis Acuña of Plottier, who dominated the men’s kyorugi under-68kg taekwondo category without dropping a single round, ending a 12-year title drought for Argentine taekwondo at the South American Games.
Archery Silver and Pan American Qualification
Esteban Silva captured the delegation’s lone silver medal, teaming up with local archer Alma Pueyo in the mixed recurve team event at the Hipódromo Oval. After defeating Peru 5-1 in the quarterfinals and Panama 5-1 in the semifinals, the duo dropped the gold-medal match 6-0 to Brazil. Silva also finished in the top eight of the individual recurve competition, securing a quota spot for Argentina at the upcoming Lima Pan American Games.
“I am super happy about winning this silver medal and also because during the individual recurve tournament I finished in the Top 8,” Silva said regarding his performance and his sights on the Lima Pan American Games and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Squash Bronze and Team Contributions
Pilar Etchechoury rounded out the medal count by claiming bronze with the Argentine women’s squash team at the Rural exhibition center’s Nave C. Despite competing through a right knee injury that limited her mobility during the opening match against Colombia’s Lucía Bautista, Etchechoury and teammates Paula Rivero and Antonella Falcione secured a podium finish for the national squad. Etchechoury, who is based in Spain but originally from Neuquén, increased her career South American Games medal tally to five, following prior podium finishes at Cochabamba 2018 and Asunción 2022.
Additional Provincial Results
Other Neuquén athletes reached the podium with bronze finishes, including Manuel Turone in BMX freestyle, Abril Garzón of Huinganco in the women’s Madison cycling event at the Rafaela velodrome alongside San Juan’s Maribel Aguirre, and Wanda Arca in the women’s team recurve archery event alongside Alma Pueyo and María Giudice. Matías Contreras of Aluminé claimed two bronze medals in canoe slalom—specifically in K1 kayak cross and K1 kayak parallel—before finishing fourth in the final day’s slalom competition behind Venezuelan athlete Alexis Pérez, Chilean Jesús Martínez, and Brazilian Murillo Sorgetz. Track and field athlete Giuliana Baigorria finished fifth in the hammer throw at the Pedro Candioti High Performance Athletics Center with a mark of 57.45 meters, behind gold medalist Mayra Gaviria of Colombia.
With the competition concluding with the official closing ceremonies, Argentina continued its battle with Colombia for second place in the overall medal standings behind champion Brazil.
Related reading
