The Pan American Canoe Slalom Championship, held from April 28-30 in Tres Coroas, Brazil, qualified 10 countries for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.
In the 2023 Pan American Canoe Slalom Championships, Brazil hosted an exciting weekend of canoe slalom action in Tres Coroas. As the only qualifier for the sport, the continental event provided athletes and countries with the opportunity to compete at this year’s Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.
The championships, which were held from April 28 to 30, featured junior, U-23, and senior competitions, with only the senior competitions allowing Santiago 2023 to qualify.
With three gold medals, Brazil led all countries in the senior events, led by double Pan Am Games champion Ana Satila in the women’s C-1 event, Omira Estacia Neta in the women’s K-1 and Guilherme Rodrigues in the men’s extreme slalom.
As the Host Nation of Santiago 2023, Chile just had to compete in each of the competitions at the championships to qualify for the Games in their country. With Andraz Echevarria Olguin’s outstanding performance in the final of the men’s K-1 event, they managed to qualify for five of the six events.
The final two gold medals were won by Argentina and the United States, respectively. Sebastian Rossi, silver medalist from Lima 2019, won the men’s C-1 event for Argentina and Evy Leibfarth, silver medalist from Lima 2019, won the women’s extreme slalom competition and won the continental title.
In the C-1 and K-1 disciplines, one wild card quota remains after the qualification event for Santiago 2023. The Pan American Canoe Federation (COPAC) will also have to determine additional qualifiers in the men’s and women’s C-1 and K-1 events, as not enough athletes reached the finals at the championships to fill the nine quotas available for Santiago 2023.
In the men’s C-1 event, seven athletes qualified, led by Sebastian Rossi (ARG), Alex Baldoni (CAN), Zachary Lokken (USA), Charles Correa (BRA), Leonardo Curcel (PAR), Jhon Rodriguez Canela (PER) and Angelo Sosa (VEN). As soon as possible, COPAC will determine the final two qualifiers and wild card quota.
In addition to the wild card spot, Satila (BRA), Lois Betteridge (CAN), Ana Fernandes Castro (PAR), Anabel Dubier (ARG), Maria Inzunza (CHI) and Marianna Torres Briceno (VEN) qualified from the women’s C-1.
Echevarria Olguin (CHI) won the men’s K-1 discipline, followed by Pedro Goncalves (BRA), Matias Contreras (ARG), Alex Baldoni (CAN), Eriberto Gutierrez Robles (PER), Alexis Perez (VEN), Leonardo Curcel (PAR), and Solomon Maragh (JAM). Two more qualifiers, as well as the wild card, are yet to be determined.
In the women’s K-1 event, Omira Estacia Neta won, followed by qualifiers Florence Maheu (CAN), Nadia Riquelme (ARG), Sofia Reinoso (MEX), Ana Fernandes Castro (PAR), Maria Inzunza (CHI), Carmen Ramirez Bustillos (PER) and Marianna Torres Briceno (VEN). A wild card nation and one quota remain to be determined.
The championships in Brazil confirmed all qualifiers for Santiago 2023 in both extreme slalom events for men and women. In the men’s event, Guilherme Rodrigues (BRA), Andraz Echeverria Olguin (CHI), Matias Contreras (ARG), Kyler Long (USA) and Antonio Reinoso (MEX) will compete.
At Santiago 2023, Evy Leibfarth (USA), Florence Maheu (CAN), Sofia Reinoso (MEX), Maria Inzunza (CHI) and Ana Fernandes Castro (PAR) will compete in the women’s extreme slalom.
We congratulate all the athletes who competed at the 2023 continental championship and qualified for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. The canoe slalom events will take place from October 27 to 29 at the Aconcagua River in Los Andes.
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