A total of 10 countries qualified to the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games at the Pan American Canoe Slalom Championship held in Tres Coroas, Brazil. The three-day continental championship was broadcast live on the Panam Sports Channel from April 28-30.
Brazil hosted an exciting weekend of canoe slalom action in Tres Coroas during the 2023 Pan American Canoe Slalom Championships. The continental event served as the only qualifier for the sport that gave athletes and countries their tickets to compete at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games this October.
In the end, 10 countries were able to qualify in the men’s and women’s C-1, K-1 and extreme K-1 events that were held from April 28 to 30. The championships featured junior, U-23 and senior competitions, with only the senior events awarding qualification to Santiago 2023.
Brazil led all countries with three gold medals in the senior events, led by double Pan Am Games champion at Lima 2019 Ana Satila in the women’s C-1 event, as well as Omira Estacia Neta in the women’s K-1 and Guilherme Rodrigues in the men’s extreme slalom competition.
As the Host Nation of Santiago 2023, Chile only had to compete in each of the competitions at the championships to qualify for the Games in their country. In the end, they secured qualification in five of the six events and even earned the gold medal in the men’s K-1 thanks to Andraz Echevarria Olguin’s great performance in the final.
Argentina and the United States earned the final two gold medals, with Lima 2019 silver medalist Sebastian Rossi winning the men’s C-1 event for Argentina and Team USA’s silver medalist from Lima 2019 Evy Leibfarth taking the continental title in the women’s extreme slalom competition.
After the qualification event, one wild card quota for Santiago 2023 remains in the men’s and women’s C-1 and K-1 disciplines. 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 available quotas to Santiago 2023.
Seven athletes qualified in the men’s C-1 event, 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). COPAC will soon determine the final two qualifiers plus the wild card quota.
The women’s C-1 qualified Satila (BRA), Lois Betteridge (CAN), Ana Fernandes Castro (PAR), Anabel Dubier (ARG), Maria Inzunza (CHI) and Marianna Torres Briceno (VEN), leaving three more athletes to be determined by COPAC in addition to the wild card spot.
Another seven athletes qualified in the men’s K-1 discipline, as Echevarria Olguin (CHI) took the gold followed by Lima 2019 champion Pedro Goncalves (BRA), Matias Contreras (ARG), Alex Baldoni (CAN), Eriberto Gutierrez Robles (PER), Alexis Perez (VEN), Leonardo Curcel (PAR) and Solomon Maragh (JAM). The final two qualifiers plus the wild card are to be determined.
Omira Estacia Neta of Brazil won the women’s K-1 event, 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). Only one quota remains to be determined as well as the wild card nation.
In both the men’s and women’s extreme slalom events, all qualifiers to Santiago 2023 were confirmed at the championships in Brazil. The men’s event will feature Guilherme Rodrigues (BRA), Andraz Echeverria Olguin (CHI), Matias Contreras (ARG), Kyler Long (USA) and Antonio Reinoso (MEX).
The women’s extreme slalom at Santiago 2023 will consist of the following athletes: Evy Leibfarth (USA), Florence Maheu (CAN), Sofia Reinoso (MEX), Maria Inzunza (CHI) and Ana Fernandes Castro (PAR).
Panam Sports congratulates all of the athletes who competed at the 2023 continental championship and those who qualified for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. The canoe slalom events at Santiago 2023 will take place from October 27 to 29 at the Aconcagua River in Los Andes.
