The South American Championships kicked off yesterday in La Guaira, Venezuela, with the Junior races opening the event.
Defending her title from last year, Dominga Elena Jacome Espinoza claimed a massive victory with a winning margin of almost 4 minutes. She produced the fastest swim of the field in 10:47 and only her teammate Sol Ottenhsimer Schreiber (10:48) was able to stick within 30 seconds of her.
From there, Jacome did not look back. She ripped a bike split of 31:11; for context, the next quickest split was a 33:38. Then, to round things off, she claimed the fastest run of the day in 20:34.
La Guaira represented Jacome’s first race of 2024 after a highly successful 2023. She finished 6th at the World Junior Championships, 13th at the Pan American Games and 19th on her World Cup debut in Brasilia. A pair of 4th place finishes at Americas Cup races also book-ended her season. Now in her final season as a Junior, Jacome will look to build upon her South American title and push for further honours.
Yaniuska Mared Jimenez Arriechi claimed a home silver medal for Venezuela while Gabriela Machado Penteado of Brazil rounded out the Junior women’s podium.
If the women’s race was a blow-out, the men’s was the polar opposite.
A fast swim, in which João Vitor Mazorca of Brazil (9:24) and Daniel Ubilla Sababa of Chile (9:26) set the pace, stretched the field. However, the two leaders were unable to convert their initial advantage into a substantial lead and a pack of nine athletes caught them on the bike.
It was on the run that the race was decided. Ubilla strode out ahead but he had his compatriot Ignacio Flores Arana for company. Nothing could separate them over the 5km and the gold medal came down to a sprint finish. In the end, Flores has the better final burst of speed and was able to narrowly claim victory by a single second.
At least year’s event, Flores finished 16th. He also placed 23rd at the 2023 Americas Junior Championships. As such, he has made significant steps forward over the past season and could be one to mimic the success of Chile’s Andree Buc from last year.
Meanwhile, Ubilla had already finished 6th at the 2024 Americas Junior Championships and will no doubt be thrilled with his progress as he earned the first international medal of his young career. Thomas Francisco Chica Perez of Colombia claimed the bronze medal.
View the full results here.
