Bows and arrows back in their cases, and targets peppered with holes from the marksmen’s precision, the competitors now prepare to head home after leaving their mark on the year’s biggest continental youth sporting event.
On this final day, Brazil once again took center stage, claiming more medals than any other nation. Still, there was plenty to celebrate for athletes from Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, and Guatemala, who also found their way to the podium.
In the individual recurve events, Brazil’s Isabelle Trindade struck gold in the women’s category, while Guatemala’s Christian García topped the men’s competition. In the compound individual discipline, Rafael Magalhaes of Brazil captured the men’s gold, and Ecuador’s Blanca Rodrigo triumphed among the women.
Team events brought more drama and glory. Mexico secured two gold medals, in the women’s team recurve and the mixed team compound. Colombia added to its tally by winning gold in the mixed team recurve.
Finally, Brazil closed the competition in style, earning the last archery gold in the men’s team recurve.
It was a remarkable display of skill, focus, and determination from athletes who came to Paraguay to make history, and did just that. With these final arrows loosed, Archery officially bows out of ASU202.
