The qualifying heats on the final day of swimming at the South American Youth Games Panama 2026 left plenty to talk about: records, surprises, and several names shaping up to fight for medals in the final session.
In the men’s 200m butterfly, Brazil’s Pedro Oliveira broke the South American youth record in the first heat, setting the pace for the event. In the following heat, his compatriot Artur Figueiredo posted the fastest time, confirming Brazil’s dominance.
In the women’s 50m freestyle, Sophia de Andrade won the first heat, followed by Beatriz Cavalheiro in the second, while Argentina’s Laila Chain took the third.
In the men’s 50m freestyle, Venezuela’s Dennis Pérez won the first heat and is shaping up as a contender. Matías Chaillou took the second heat, while in the final heat Celso Ferreira broke the South American youth record, establishing himself as one of the top favorites for the evening.
The morning session closed with the mixed 4×100 medley relay. Argentina dominated the first heat with a wide margin over Ecuador. In the second heat, Brazil won its race, but Panama delivered the surprise: after starting in fourth place, they staged a comeback thanks to Raúl Antadilla, leaving the final stretch in the hands of Zuriel Leguísamo and Diego Castillo. In a thrilling finish, Castillo pushed hard in the final meters to overtake Colombia and secure a valuable second place, sending Panama to the final with the third best time.
The morning session set the stage for highly exciting finals, where several swimmers are now aiming directly for the podium at the South American Youth Games Panama 2026
