Santiago 2023 Review: Brazil on top, Chilean team and USA's Bobby Body make history

Brazilian powerlifters put the country on the top of the medal standings for a second consecutive Parapan American Games at Santiago 2023. 

Chilean fans had a lot to celebrate as the country finished second with four gold medals, including a historical first in the mixed team event. 

Colombia, El Salvador, Venezuela and USA (a first-time for the country) also topped the podium at Santiago 2023 as the Para powerlifting action concluded on Tuesday (21 November).

The four-day competition at the Gimnasio Chimkowe kicked off on Saturday (18 November). 

Day one

Lucas Santos took Brazil’s first Para powerlifting gold in Santiago improving from his bronze at Lima 2019 in the men’s up to 49kg. The Brazilian won with a 150kg-lift in his third attempt to give himself an early birthday two days before he turned 22 on Monday (20). Cuba’s Enmanuel Gonzalez took silver and Colombia’s Jhonny Morales the bronze.

The first of Colombia’s three gold in Santiago came in the women’s up to 61kg with Ana Lucia Pinto (109kg). Mexico’s Miriam Aguilar Jimenez finished second and Ecuador’s Mishelle Oyague third.

Paralympic and world champion Mariana D’Andrea extended her domination with a gold in the women’s up to 73kg & up to 79kg. It was a one-two Brazilian podium with Caroline Fernandes taking silver.  Josefina Zoraida Miliano put the Dominican Republic on the podium with her bronze medal.

Santiago 2023 was D’Andrea’s first international event since she lost her father in August, a few days after her world title in Dubai. The gold in Chile was a very emotional moment for the Brazilian.

“After I was world champion I didn’t stop practicing because I knew my dad wouldn’t like to be her daughter sad. So I kept training hard to make him proud,” said the Brazilian, who broke the Americas record (141kg). “It wasn’t an easy moment, but I wanted to dedicate this medal to him.”

Herbert Aceituno defended his Lima 2019 gold medal to put El Salvador in the gold medal count. He was in a league of his own in the men’s up to 59kg triumphing with a 192kg-lift in his third attempt. 

Javier Jimenez took hosts Chile’s first medal at the Gimnasio Chimkowe with his silver. Peru’s Niel Garcia grabbed the bronze medal.

Lara Aparecida de Lima broke the Americas record twice en route to gold in the women’s up to 41kg. The Brazilian first set a new mark with her third lift (102kg) followed by 103kg in the power lift attempt. Kerly Lascano gave Ecuador the silver with Colombia’s Cristina Poblador in third.

Chile saved best for last on opening day as home hero Juan Carlos Garrido took his third consecutive Parapan American gold in the men’s up to 72kg category.

"This is by far the most beautiful triumph of my career. Winning a Parapan American gold in your country and with your family is priceless," Garrido said.

He beat Rey Melchor Dimas from Panama by one kilogram (195kg against Dimas’ 194kg) while the bronze went to Ezequiel Correa of Brazil.

Day two

Sunday’s show began as the previous day with Brazil on top. Bruno Carra was another Lima 2019 champion to retain the title. His victory in the men’s up to 54kg came with a 161kg-mark in the second lift. Cuba’s Pablo Barrientos settled for silver with another Brazilian powerlifter, Joao Franca Junior taking bronze.

Bertha Fernandez then pulled the biggest surprise of the Parapan Am Games beating Para powerlifting legend Amalia Perez in the women’s up to 67kg.

The Colombian set a new Americas record (130kg) leaving the Mexican in second. Maria Costa de Castro from Brazil finished third.

There were back to back Colombian golds as Fabio Torres won the men’s up to 97kg (215kg) far ahead of Brazil’s Jose Silva Lima (silver) and Mexico’s Juan Ramirez Miramontes (bronze).

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic bronze medallist Clara Fuentes took her first major international gold with her victory in the women’s up to 45kg in Santiago.

It was Venezuela’s only Para powerlifting gold and it came in style with Fuentes breaking her own Americas record three times (first at 106k, then 108kg and finally 110kg). 

“I am super happy. I was waiting to beat this record. I am really thankful to my coaches for their time and dedication. The sport allows me to fulfil my dreams and travel the world doing important things,” Fuentes said.

MarIa Jose Movilla picked the silver for Colombia and Leidy Rodriguez, the bronze for Cuba.

Bobby Body made history for the United States in the last event of day two, the men’s up to 107kg & over 107kg. It was the country’s first-ever gold in Para powerlifting at a Parapan Am Games.

His gold came with a 228-kg lift in the third attempt. Mateus Silva from Brazil took the silver medal and Mexico’s Jose de Jesus Castillo Castillo the bronze.

“Words can’t describe how I’m feeling right now,” Body said. “I tried to sing the national anthem, but I couldn’t. My face was a little wet on the eye side. I’m super proud of all the hard work we’ve done and all the work we’ve put into this.”

Day three

Once again, the day began with a Brazilian triumph. Not one, but three in a row. 

Ailton Bento de Souza won the men’s up to 80kg (183kg) with the silver medal to Mexican Martin Perez and bronze to Chilean Jonathan Astudillo.

Tayana Medeiros made sure the Brazilian national anthem played again at Gimnasio Chimkowe winning the women’s up to 86kg & over 86kg category.

She set a new Americas record with a 131kg-lift, the same mark of Chile’s silver medallist Marion Serrano but finished ahead due to a lower body weight. Brazil also took the bronze medal in the event with Edilandia Araujo.

The third Brazilian gold of the day came with Evanio da Silva defending his Parapan American title in the men’s up to 88kg. A third lift of 177kg secured his first place ahead of Colombia’s Huver Mondragon and Cuba’s Jesus Drake Vega in second and third, respectively.

Day three ended with some treats for the Chilean fans. First, Camila Campos won the women’s up to 50kg & up to 55kg event (121kg) followed by Brazilian athletes in second (Maria Rizonaide da Silva) and third (Cristiane Alves Reis).

Then Jorge Carinao took gold in the men’s up to 65kg. The victory was even more special as the Chilean celebrated by proposing to his partner, Camila Shneider, presenting her with a wedding ring right after leaving the podium ceremony.

"We had talked about the possibility of getting married. The decision was discussed, and I thought about doing it here, even though it was something very personal, and I knew it would be very exposed to do it publicly. But I am an athlete, and I decided it was symbolic to do it at the Parapan American Games,” Carinao said.

He lifted 190kg for gold with Colombia’s Bryan Balanta taking silver and the bronze to Venezuela’s Carlos Alberto Betancourt.

Day four

Campos and Carinao returned for more gold on Tuesday, the final day of Para powerlifting at Santiago 2023. Alongside Juan Carlos Garrido they finished first in the mixed team event, which made its debut at the Games. 

The trio beat the Brazilian team by mere 1.2 points in a nerve-wrecking semifinal and scored 355.4 against Colombia’s 117.9 in the final. 

Eglain Mena, Carlos Yajue and Bertha Fernandez formed the Colombian team. Bruno Carra, Joao Franca Junior and Mariana D’Andrea represented bronze medallists Brazil.

The mixed team gold was Chile’s 11th at Santiago 2023 meaning the country’s best-ever performance at a Parapan Am Games, still with five more days of competition before the Closing Ceremony on 26 November. The home crowd at Gimnasio Chimkowe  had the support of Gabriel Boric, President of Chile, in the stands.

"We are very happy, the three of us, with the results. We wanted to leave the team gold medal at home, and we achieved it... I enjoyed Monday's gold for a while with my family, but then I focused on Tuesday, just like my teammates did... We knew there was unfinished business in the team event," said Camila Campos.

All medallists and complete results from Para powerlifting at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games can be found here.