Agostina Hein shines again, breaks medal record at Youth Games | OneFootball

At the close of swimming at Panama 2026, Agostina Hein delivered another unforgettable performance and etched her name into the record books. The young athlete from Campana won nine gold medals and one silver, a total that made her the athlete with the most golds in the history of the South American Youth Games.

The Argentine reached that mark after winning the 200-meter butterfly and the 400 freestyle, two events that capped off a perfect week at Panama’s Aquatic Center. In addition, in one of those finals she set a new championship record: she broke the mark held by Brazil’s Stephanie Balduccini, who had won eight first-place finishes in Rosario 2022, and became the event’s all-time leading figure.

Her haul had started strongly from the opening day, when she won the 800 freestyle and the 200 medley, both with South American records. She later added victories in the 100 and 200 butterfly, the 200 freestyle, the 200 medley again, as well as the women’s 4×100 freestyle and 4×100 medley relays. The tenth medal came with silver in the mixed 4×100 medley relay, behind Brazil. On top of that came multiple championship records, two South American records, and a new absolute Argentine record.

“Honestly, I’m very happy, I’m thrilled. These were dream Games. I couldn’t ask for a better outcome,” she said in remarks to the press office of the National Sports Undersecretariat. She then added: “Of all the races, the one that surprised me the most was the 800 freestyle. For me, having broken the Brazilian’s record (María Fernanda Costa), which she had set not long ago, was unbelievable. I think I swam very calmly and everything just flowed in that race.”

On the medals record, she said: “It’s special because I also surpassed Stephanie Balduccini’s mark of eight in a tournament like this. It means a lot to me because I admire her: she’s an established swimmer, as I aspire to be both personally and athletically.”

At just 17 years old, Hein confirmed that she is no longer just a promise, but a reality. After competing in Paris 2024 and shining at the 2025 Junior World Championships and Junior Pan American Games, she will now set her sights on a new dream: Los Angeles 2028. “I’m going to try to secure qualification at the first meet so I can be at ease. The times are there. And it’s really exciting to think about the future,” she concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.