The Pan American Road Cycling Championships and Mountain Bike Championships were held in Panama and Brazil, respectively, with several athletes booking their spots at the Pan American Games this October.
A total of 38 athletes earned qualification to the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games in road cycling at the sport’s continental championship held in Panama City, Panama from April 18 to 23.
As those championships were ending, the specialists in mountain biking were also competing to qualify to Santiago 2023 in Congonhas, Brazil at their own continental championship, with a total of 26 athletes qualifying to the Games during the event held from April 26 to 30.
In the men’s road cycling events, 13 athletes qualified to Santiago 2023 in the road race discipline while another six earned qualification in the time trial event. Canada’s Pier-Andre Cote took home the continental title in the road race event, followed by German Tivani Perez of Argentina and Charles-Etienne Chretien of Canada who completed the podium.
Ten other athletes qualified their countries to Santiago 2023 in the event, including: Antonio Fagundez Lima (URU), Bayron Guama de la Cruz (ECU), Nicolas Sessler (BRA), Daniel Badilla Navarro (CRC), Dorian Monterroso (GUA), Cristian da Rosa (BRA), Eduin Becerra (VEN) Roderyck Asconeguy Diaz (URU), Pablo Mudarra Segura (CRC) and Conor White (BER). Those athletes will compete against two cyclists from the Host Nation of Chile, as well as the Junior Pan American Games champion Gabriel Rojas Campos (CRC) and one athlete each from Guatemala and Dominican Republic.
In the men’s time trial, Colombia finished one-two with strong performances from Walter Vargas Alzate and Miguel Lopez Moreno, although the country only earned one qualification to Santiago 2023 following Victor Ocampo Giraldo’s gold medal finish and direct qualification at the Junior Pan American Games. Kaden Hopkins of Bermuda finished with the bronze to qualify, while Antonio Fagundez Lima (URU), Franklin Archibold Castillo (PAN), Juan Dotti (ARG) and Jimmy Montenegro Narvaez (ECU). Chile will also have an athlete in the time trial event at Santiago as the Host Nation.
In the women’s events, Skylar Schneider of the United States won gold in Panama, followed by Alison Jackson (CAN) and Catalina Soto Campos (CHI) on the podium. Catalina was already qualified as a Host Nation athlete for Santiago 2023, and the three medalists will be joined by: Andrea Alzate Gomez (COL), Ana Vitoria Gouvea (BRA), Diana Peñuela Martinez (COL), Andrea Ramirez Fregoso (MEX), Talita da Luz (BRA), Milagro Mena Solano (CRC), Claudia Baro Arango (CUB), Marian Garcia Britos (URU), Flor Espiritusanto Estevez (DOM), Sofia Martelli (ARG) and Esther Galarza Muñoz (ECU). They will compete against the two Chilean athletes from the Host Nation as well as Junior Pan Am Games champion Lina Hernandez Gomez (COL) and one more athlete each from Costa Rica and Cuba.
The women’s time trial race was also won by the U.S. thanks to Amber Neben who was followed by Chile’s Aranza Villalon Sanchez and Canada’s Alison Jackson on the podium. The other four qualifiers outside of the Host Nation were Marina Espinola Salinas (PAR), Teniel Campbell (TTO), Diana Peñuela Martinez (COL) and Andrea Ramirez Fregoso (MEX). These six athletes will compete against Cali 2021 champion Lina Hernandez Gomez (COL) and the selection from Chile as hosts of the Games.
MOUNTAIN BIKERS SET FOR SANTIAGO
Although one spot remains in the men’s and women’s mountain biking events that will be determined by the champion of the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador, the rest of the field for the competition is complete for the Pan Am Games.
At the continental championship held in Brazil, Kate Courtney of the United States won the women’s race and Jose Gerardo Ulloa of Mexico won the men’s gold, both earning qualification to Santiago 2023 and ranking points towards the Paris 2024 Olympics.
On the women’s side, Kate will compete in Santiago against two athletes from the Host Country of Chile, Junior Pan Am Games champion Angie Lara Zarazo (COL) and the South American Games champion from Brazil. The other countries that qualified for the Games are the U.S. (2), Brazil, Mexico (2), Canada (2), Colombia (2), Costa Rica, Argentina (2) and Guatemala.
For the men’s competition, Jose will face off against three Chilean athletes, including Cali 2021 champion Martin Vidaurre Kossmann, the South American Games champion from Brazil, and the other qualifiers from the continental championship from the countries of Mexico (2), Canada (2), Argentina (2), Brazil, Colombia (2), Puerto Rico, Costa Rica (2) and Honduras.
Panam Sports congratulates all of the athletes that qualified for the cycling events at Santiago 2023!
