On the first day of men’s weightlifting at the IV South American Youth Games 2026, Venezuela made its debut by winning a gold medal in the 65 kg category. Venezuelan athlete David Linares Peña claimed the gold medal at the Atheyna Bylon Combat Center.
The Argentine athlete Álvaro Matricardi won the silver medal, and Juan Pablo Ramírez from Colombia earned the bronze medal. In this way, the men’s 65 kg weightlifting category featured outstanding performances, with Venezuela, Argentina, and Colombia standing out as the main protagonists in this discipline held in Panama.
Venezuela breaks a record and wins the gold medal in the 53 kg category
On the first day of women’s weightlifting at the IV South American Youth Games 2026, Venezuela won the gold medal in the 53 kg category. Venezuelan athlete Arianye Echalandía claimed the gold medal after winning the final and set a new record of 185 kg, with 82 kg in the snatch and 103 kg in the clean and jerk.
Colombian athlete Luz Solís won the silver medal for Colombia, while Brazilian Sophia De Carvahalo earned the bronze medal.
In this way, the women’s 53 kg weightlifting event concluded, highlighting outstanding performances by the athletes and featuring Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil as the main contenders in the medal table at Panama 2026.
