Team Peru wrapped up its campaign at the Santa Fe 2026 South American Games with a historic haul of 99 medals, securing its best-ever performance at a multi-sport regional event held outside home territory. The national delegation collected 28 gold medals, 32 silver medals, and 39 bronze medals across the two-week competition, according to final standings released at the conclusion of the games.
That total marks the second-largest medal count Peru has ever achieved in the history of the South American Games. Only the 1990 edition in Lima, which was held on national territory, stands higher in the record books with 185 total medals.
Surpassing Past International Benchmarks
The performance in Santa Fe eclipses Peru’s previous high-water mark for an away-game delegation, which was set at the 2018 South American Games in Cochabamba, Bolivia, where athletes brought home 92 medals. Earlier away-game totals included 75 medals from Rosario in 1982 and 74 medals from Asunción in 2022.
The 99-medal haul also pushed Peru back into the top six of the overall medal standings, returning the country to a position it had not occupied since the 2010 games.
Brazil finished atop the final medal table with 312 total medals, broken down into 122 gold, 107 silver, and 83 bronze. Argentina took second place with 293 medals, while Colombia finished third with 192. Chile claimed fourth place with 175 medals, and Venezuela rounded out the top five with 146.
Gold Medals on the Final Day
Peru’s push up the standings received a late boost during the final day of competition, highlighted by victories in tennis and squash. Dana Guzmán captured the gold medal in the women’s singles tennis tournament by defeating Argentina’s Jazmín Ortenzi in straight sets, 6-0, 6-3.
In the men’s squash team event, the squad of Diego Elías, Alonso Escudero, Rafael Gálvez, and Thiago Cabrejos secured another gold medal by defeating Ecuador in the final.
The delegation added two silver medals on the final day of action. Inés Castillo earned a second-place finish in women’s singles badminton, while the men’s table tennis team—comprising Carlos Fernández, Felipe Duffoo, and Rodrigo Hidalgo—took silver in their team final.
Looking Ahead to Lima 2027
Renzo Manyari, president of the Peruvian Olympic Committee, described the results as a historic achievement and credited the preparation and coordination of the national sports federations and multidisciplinary support teams.
Following the conclusion of the Santa Fe competition, the next major multi-sport objective for Peruvian athletes will be the Lima 2027 Panamerican Games, where the country aims to build upon the momentum generated in Santa Fe.
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