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The Paraguayan Olympic Committee dressed up to bid farewell to an event that not only united sporting talent and intense emotions but also reaffirmed the spirit of American brotherhood. Starting at 7:00 PM sharp, the countdown on the screens marked the beginning of a magical evening, followed by a vibrant opening act: pyrotechnics in the sky and 40 dancers lighting up the stage with energy that began to bring warmth to the cold Asunción night.

​The emotions continued with an audiovisual review of the inauguration, evoking the most memorable images of the competition. Then, the protocol took center stage with the solemn entry of the Paraguayan flag and the performance of the National Anthem by Jazmín del Paraguay, which gave everyone present goosebumps. The delegations had their moment of gratitude on stage, accompanied by the song “Vendrás,” before ceding the festive atmosphere to Tito and Tika, who along with DJ OKO provided the cheerful note of the night.

One of the most emotional moments came with the audiovisual “Seremos Leyenda,” a tribute to the athletes who shone in Asunción. The Paraguayan identity was also felt with the masterful musical performance of Tierra Adentro and Susan Saldívar along with 40 folkloric dancers, in a cultural display that earned ovations.

​The volunteers, true anonymous heroes of the event, received a well-deserved tribute through an audiovisual material that moved everyone, stories of life, of overcoming, and goals achieved by them as well.

The protocol segment continued with the lowering of the Panam Sports and IOC flags. In a gesture full of symbolism, the President of the COP, Camilo Pérez López Moreira, handed the Pan American flag to Neven Ilic, President of Panam Sports, in the traditional host city transfer. Both addressed the public with speeches that officially marked the closing of the Games.

​The culmination came with the extinguishing of the Pan American flame, accompanied by a choreography of 11 contemporary dancers, a moment filled with symbolism that sealed the end of the sporting celebration.

The final party was up to the event’s standard: Rombai lit up the stage with their music, accompanied by a dance corps and the energy of DJ Faro, while fireworks illuminated the Asunción sky. Tito and Tika returned to the stage for the closing, putting the finishing touch on an unforgettable ceremony.

​Thus, Paraguay said goodbye to the Junior Pan American Games with warmth, passion, and impeccable organizational capacity, leaving an indelible mark on the history of continental sports.

In the men’s -60 kg category, the group stage was packed with intensity. Ecuador’s Anthony Tamayo opened with a narrow 5-4 win over Peru’s Hermes Moreno, while Argentina’s Gallardo got off to a solid start by defeating Venezuela’s Chirinos (2-0). Moreno bounced back with a dominant 10-2 victory over Panama’s Castillo, but Gallardo remained unstoppable, defeating Mexico’s Ponce and Paraguay’s Florentín.

The semifinals lived up to the hype: Chirinos (VEN) asserted himself with a commanding 4-0 win over Moreno (PER), while Gallardo held his nerve to edge out Jean Dorta (USA) 2-1. In the highly anticipated final, Argentina and Venezuela delivered a tactical, hard-fought clash. Gallardo, with patience and precision, secured a razor-thin 1-0 victory to claim junior Pan American gold.

In the women’s -50 kg division, Nicaragua’s Joysi Tinoco emerged as the tournament’s breakout star. From the group stage, she showed grit and confidence, defeating Mexico’s Salinas to secure her spot with authority. In the semifinals, Tinoco confirmed her form with a 6-3 win over Bolivia’s Melani Unzueta, while Venezuela’s Ana Vásquez advanced after a tight 3-2 battle against Colombia’s Ospina.

The final was a true tactical showdown. Tinoco and Vásquez engaged in a tense, back-and-forth fight, decided by the smallest of margins. With determination, the Central American prevailed 2-1, writing a golden chapter for Nicaragua in these Games.

Karate’s closing day in Asunción sent a clear message: the grit and technical brilliance of the continent’s young talents are shaping the future of the sport on the Pan American tatami.

The track vibrated to the rhythm of speed, leaving as great protagonists the American Alexis Alden and the Argentine Federico Capello, absolute owners of the gold medals on a day filled with intensity.

In the women’s branch, the United States celebrated a 1-2 with the consecration of Alexis Alden; who stopped the clock at 37.963 seconds, and Derin Merten, who won the silver medal by finishing second with 38.501 seconds. The fight for third place gave no respite and it was the Colombian Sharid Fayad who took the bronze with 38.619 seconds, just a fraction behind the North American.

​For its part, in the men’s category, the Argentine flag flew at the highest point thanks to Federico Capello, who flew over the track to clock a time of 34.495 seconds and be crowned champion with authority.

The podium was completed by the Americans Ethan Popovich (34.846 seconds), with the silver, and Evan Esposito (35.651 seconds), who secured the bronze in a final that confirmed the extremely high level of continental BMX.

​In Asunción it became clear: in this discipline, every fraction of a second is enough to write history; just as these intrepid riders did by challenging the track in every run.

The sand of the Pynandi Stadium at the Paraguayan Olympic Park was a witness to the great achievements of the American volleyball players during the Games. They gave thousands of fans days full of emotion with unforgettable matches and high-level finals.

​WOMEN’S

​The curtain closed with the women’s final, where Portia Sherman and Emma Donley from the United States confirmed their favoritism by authoritatively defeating the Venezuelan duo Sara López and Darlin Rodríguez in consecutive sets. The North Americans showed solidity and concentration to take the gold medal, leaving Venezuela with the silver.

​Before that, the loudest ovation came with the Guaraní victory in the duel for the last place on the podium. Fiorella Núñez and Denisse Álvarez beat the Canadians Sophia Hladyniuk and Jaeya Brach 2-1, securing the bronze at home.

MEN’S

​The American team’s dominance in this sport was completed with gold in the men’s event, achieved by Gage Basey and Thomas Hurst, who defeated the Brazilians Isac de Farias and Jonathan de Menezes in a vibrant three-set duel. The score reflected the parity: 21-11 for the Americans, a Brazilian reaction 21-16, and a categorical 15-7 close for the North Americans. Thus, Team USA. sealed its double continental gold.

​In the match for third place, Venezuela celebrated thanks to Juliangel Vargas and Esyenser Delgado, who defeated the Argentinians Marcos González and Fausto Inostroza 2-1, completing a high-voltage podium.

The podiums of the sport on ice have already been delivered, and the first defined category is the men’s Free Skate modality, where the Brazilian, Erik Leite, was the gold medalist with a score of 130 points and an excellent performance from the one born in Brazil. The silver medal went to the Colombian Deivi Rojas, who scored 118 points in an act full of emotion. Finally, the bronze medal was for Juan Rodríguez, from Argentina, who took the bronze after achieving a score of 114.63.

​The second category to award medals was the women’s Free Skate, where the Colombian Paulina Ruiz was the one who won the gold medal with a score of 88.27. The 17-year-old skater dazzled on the rink and obtained the best result in the category. Next, the Chilean Josefa Ramos secured the silver medal with a score of 83.62, and the bronze medal went to Brazil’s Laura Olympio, achieving 79.09 points.

​In the men’s category, but in the Solo Dance modality, the gold medal was won by the Colombian Jeshua Folleco with a score of 87.14. Following him, we have the Brazilian Erik Leite again, who took the silver after achieving 77.76 points, and to close the podium, the American Sean Folstein took the bronze with a score of 74.46.

​The last category to award medals was the women’s Solo Dance, where the Brazilian Lia Iwazaki won gold by achieving a score of 78.31 and a wonderful performance. The second place on the podium went to the local skater, Paloma García, with a score of 77.48 and thus, hanging the silver medal. The 3rd place was for the Colombian María Muñoz with a score of 75.23 that allowed her to keep the bronze on the last day of artistic skating at the 2nd Junior Pan American Games ASU2025.

The Canadian Charlotte Simoneau not only won the gold medal in the 69-kilogram category, but also set a youth world record with a total of 240 kilograms, in a finish that kept the entire audience on edge.

​The North American athlete demonstrated her hierarchy in every movement. With a 110 kg snatch and a 130 kg clean and jerk, she made it clear that she is one of the great promises of this sport in the world today. Her level was far superior to that of her rivals, whom she easily surpassed, and she managed to inscribe her name among the most important marks in recent history.

The continental podium was completed by the Venezuelan Claudia Rengifo Chirinos, who lifted a total of 220 kg (100 in the snatch and 120 in the clean and jerk) to secure silver; and with the Ecuadorian Damary Bravo Nazareno, who finished with 215 kg (100 in the snatch and 115 in the clean and jerk), winning the bronze.

Asuncion witnessed the​ vibrant spectacle, where emotion and physical demand came together to offer one of the most memorable pages of these Games. With Simoneau’s feat, youth weightlifting confirms that its future is already among us.

In the duel for the title, Argentina started better and closed the first half 14-11 up, with the inspiration of Nicolás Rodríguez, author of 10 goals in 11 shots. However, Brazil reacted in the second half and, with a partial of 18-13, turned the scoreboard around to finally win 29-27, in an ending full of emotion. Mikael Cándido, with 9 goals, was key in the Brazilian comeback. The refereeing was in charge of the Uruguayans Mathias Sosa and Cristian Lemes. With this victory, Brazil took the gold medal, while Argentina closed a brilliant tournament with silver.

For the bronze medal, the United States authoritatively defeated Paraguay 39-29. From the beginning, the North Americans imposed a rhythm with a partial of 17-11 in the first half and widened the difference in the second half. Benjamin Edwards, with 11 goals in 13 shots, was the great figure of the match, while Enzo Acosta, with 7 goals, stood out in the “Albirroja.” The match was directed by the Brazilian referees Renata Correa and Bruna Correa.

​In this way, men’s handball said goodbye with Brazil at the top of the podium, accompanied by Argentina with silver and the United States with bronze. Paraguay was in fourth place, while Mexico, Cuba, Chile, and Uruguay occupied the qualifying positions in that order.

The tournament closed with great emotions, crowning the South Americans as protagonists and making clear the growth of handball throughout the continent.

Today’s busy Athletics schedule began just as night fell with the men’s 10000m race where, after half an hour of uninterrupted pace, the Colombian Pedro Marín took the gold medal with a time of 30:57.8.

Then, the semifinals of the 110m hurdles in the men’s category took place; speed with obstacles, like life itself. The first heat was won by the Brazilian Thiago Dos Santos, with a Pan American record included (13:77). However, the joy for the new mark did not last long for the one born in the land of coffee. In the second semifinal, the Cuban Yander Herrera stopped the clock at 13:54 and took first place in the heat.

The good Cuban harvest continued in the next event, men’s High Jump, with the gold medal obtained by Diosber Hernández. The Caribbean athlete passed the 2.07m mark and with a better mark than his podium companions, the Argentinian Santiago Barberia and the Mexican Jesús Vásquez, silver and bronze, respectively.

Next, it was back to the track with lanes for the 200m races in men’s and women’s; another of the great attractions of this sport. In the women’s final, the Dominican Liranyi Alonso set a new junior continental record (22.69) and climbed to the top of the podium. The same thing happened in the men’s category: gold and a Pan American record. The Puerto Rican José Figueroa was the fastest of all and stopped the clock at 20.16.

Then, the day took a break from speed events and moved on to one of strength, with the women’s Shot Put where the delegation from Dominica got its first medal of the Games. Treneese Hamilton was close to breaking the record with her throw of 17.21m which helped her to take the gold medal.

Resuming with the running events, in the men’s 1500m, the Canadian Jude Wheeler-Dee was the fastest of all and finished the event with a time of 3:45.08 to add to his delegation’s gold record. In the next competition, resistance and speed were mixed in the women’s 5000m. There, Mexico showed its power by placing two of its athletes on the podium. Dafne Juárez won the gold with a new Pan American record: 15:51.27. The silver medal went to the Canadian Jadyn Keller and the bronze to the Aztec Sabrina Salcedo.

Ending the day, the finals of the relays were experienced with great emotion, in men’s and women’s. In them, in the men’s 4x100m relay, Colombia surpassed everyone with a new junior continental record. The new time to beat is 38.99. Finally, in the same event, but in the women’s category, Jamaica confirmed its favoritism, broke the Pan American record, and won the gold medal.

Lake Manene in the city of Ypacarai was the perfect setting for young athletes from all over the continent to demonstrate their skills with impeccable routines, challenging water and speed. North America prevailed in the competitions, taking the golds in the different modalities.

First, in Water Skiing Overall, the United States Team managed to score more points than everyone else in the different events and won the gold medal in both categories, men’s and women’s. In this sense, in the men’s, the American Jake Abelson accumulated a total score of 2875 and easily surpassed his pursuers, Francisco Giorgis from Argentina (silver) and Jacob Chambers from Canada (bronze).

​In the women’s category, the US superiority was even more pronounced with the 1-2 finish of its athletes, getting gold and silver. There, Alexia Abelson and Emma Davis finished in first and second place on the podium, respectively. Daniela Verswyvel from Colombia took the bronze medal.

Moving on to Wakeboarding, in the men’s final, the Mexican Diego Monsalve had a better score than everyone else and won the desired gold medal. Behind him were the representatives of Colombia and the United States. In the women’s category, the US Team once again stood out with the performance of Kitt Smith who surprised everyone with her pirouettes to bring another gold to her delegation.

The hard-fought second phase of the tournament yielded its results after two intense matches from which the teams that will fight for the most desired medal of all emerged. The eternal competitiveness between the classic sports rivals promises a high-level game with maximum tension. Before, in the previous matches, the other positions of the final ranking of the event will also be defined.

​SEMIFINALS

The first of the keys that offered tickets for the decisive game took place in the afternoon at the COP Arena of the Olympic Park. Brazil managed to recover from a turbulent start and turned the scoreboard around to defeat Cuba 3-2. The first set was favorable for the Caribbean team, which, based on the power of its players, won 25-14. The South Americans reacted in the next two sets and managed to turn the story in their favor with partial scores of 25-17 and 26-24. But Cuba did not give up and tied everything again in the fourth (25-23) to take the definition to the fifth and final set. There, the intelligence and calmness of the Brazilians were fundamental to winning the partial (15-11) and getting the pass to the final.

​In the second semifinal, the matter was different. Argentina imposed its style from start to finish and defeated Mexico with a clear 3-0, but with each set being very battled and with tight results. The first of them, defined by details, ended 25-21. Then, in the second, the greatest advantage for the winners was with the 25-19 of this set. For the third, the Aztecs reacted in a good way and fought hand-in-hand with the South Americans, but in the end, the latter prevailed to win 25-23 and take the match and the ticket to the final.

Before these two excellent matches, in the morning, the reclassification round took place where the teams from Colombia and the Dominican Republic triumphed over Paraguay and Guatemala, respectively.

This fantastic sport had a spectacular day with the development of the continental tournament’s semifinals. In both games, the winners left no room for doubt and defeated their respective rivals with authority and by a good margin of points. For the final, the expectation increases with the confirmation of the classic in said game, raising the attention for what will happen tomorrow at the SND Arena of the National Sports Secretariat.

​In the semifinals, in the first turn, Argentina clearly won 28-13 over the United States. The “albiceleste” team made a difference from the start with a partial of 13-8 in the first half and then extended the gap in the second half with a forceful 15-5. Lucas Obregón, with 6 goals in 9 shots, was the top scorer for Argentina, while for the North Americans, Benjamín Edwards, the author of 4 goals, stood out.

In the second semifinal, Brazil left no room for surprises and beat Paraguay by a large margin, 45-20. The partial scores of 20-10 and 25-10 reflected the superiority of the “verdeamarela,” which showed offensive solidity and a wide roster. Vinicius Bertoldo and Vinicius Perin, from Brazil, with 7 goals each, were the top scorers of the match, while José Barrios was the most outstanding in Paraguay with 4 goals.

​With these results, the grand final for the gold medal will be played this Friday, August 22, at the SND Arena at 8:00 p.m. between Argentina and Brazil, in a long-awaited South American classic that promises intensity and spectacle. In the first turn, at 5:00 p.m., the bronze medal will be defined between the United States and Paraguay. The matches for the remaining positions will be played from 9:00 a.m. in the same venue.

Art linked to sport. This discipline on wheels burst into the continental event of the year today and left those present at the sports venue stunned. Divided into two styles, with a couple of subdivisions each, the athletes will add up points with different routines to find out who the medalists of this competition will be tomorrow. On the partial scoreboard, Brazil started better and leads in both categories.

​SHORT FREE PROGRAM

The Brazilian Erik Leite reached first place on the scoreboard thanks to a total score of 83.80, a result of the sum of 57.05 in technical elements and 26.75 in program components.

Moving on to the women’s competition, Brazil again managed to finish first in this division, thanks to the outstanding performance of its representative. It is Laura Olympio who scored a total of 57.20; a product of the results obtained in technical elements; 33.50; and in program components; 23.70.

​SOLO DANCE – STYLE DANCE

Moving on to the other modality of the day, Dance, Colombia managed to break the Brazilian monopoly in terms of points with the performance of its representative: Jeshua Folleco, who finished with a score of 61.16; a little more than three points than the Brazilian Leite.

​In the women’s category, Brazil was once again present, taking first place in the competition. Lia Iwazaki conquered those present with her choreography and finished with a score of 59.44.