South American Games Santa Fe 2026: Santillán's gold boosts Argentina | OneFootball

The Santa Fe 2026 South American Games continue to unfold, and the Brazil delegation has solidified its place at the top of the overall medal table, closely followed by Argentina and Colombia in an exciting battle for gold medals. In a day full of emotions, one of the standout stories came from young Santa Fe native Malena Santillán, representing Club Atlético Unión, who won the gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke.

Battle at the top of the medal table

The South American giant (Brazil) remains at the top of the medal standings thanks to its strong performances in disciplines such as swimming, gymnastics, and combat sports, reaching a total of 28 gold medals.

Meanwhile, Argentina sits in second place with 22 gold medals, backed by standout performances in fencing, esports, artistic gymnastics, and, above all, swimming. Colombia completes the overall podium with 21 gold medals, staying in contention through athletics and cycling events.

Malena Santillán, the hometown gold

Swimmer Malena Santillán sparked local celebrations after delivering a memorable race in the 200-meter backstroke. With a devastating final stretch, the young athlete beat the region’s top competitors to give the Argentine delegation another gold medal.

Santillán’s performance adds to the strong showing by Argentina’s swimming team at the aquatics venue, with major podium finishes also contributed by Santa Fe native Santiago Grassi (silver in the 50-meter butterfly) and the experienced Macarena Ceballos, confirming the excellent moment the province’s sport is enjoying on the South American stage.

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