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Brazil wins both gold medals

CALI, Colombia, December 4, 2021 - After five days of emotions on the sands and under the sky of Cali, where the I Junior Pan American Games take place, the golden day has arrived. The public filled the stands and cheered the four games for medals and cheering for both teams.

 

Rain with sunshine on the Pan American Courts in the dispute for the gold of the women's tournament: Brazil with Victoria/Thainara against Puerto Rico de Gonzalez/Navas. After a winning campaign against the duos of Antigua and Canada, the Brazilians, undefeated in the tournament, did not find their game in the first set but turned around, fought point by point in the second, until the close in the tie-break: 17/21, 26/24, 15/13.

 

“It was a very dramatic game, the girls from Puerto Rico play very well. But we were together the whole time. When we lost the first set, I told Thainara that she had nothing defined, that the game was not over yet. So we managed to change this game together. I'm so happy with this achievement, I can't even believe it”, Vic said.

 

Soon, the Brazilian U21 World Champion duo made up of the twins Renato and Rafael enters the field with as opponents the Cubans Noslen Díaz, 2m05 tall, and his partner Luis Enrique Reyes. The Brazilians' journey to the final was a bit longer. The pair suffered a setback right in the group stage, precisely against Cubans Díaz and Reyes, opponents in the final. But nothing stopped the Brazilians from imposing the rhythm of the game and winning with ease 21/17, 21/15 to give Brazil another gold medal.

 

The day of the medals began with the dispute of the masculine bronze to the sound of a local band. Chile with Aravena/Droguett opened the scoring 6-1 and led the set 21/14 maintaining a comfortable difference. The Mexicans Sarabia/Stephens reacted in the second set but not enough to stop the South Americans from winning the medal. Chile Victory 21/14, 22/20.

 

And then the Peruvian Allcca/Gaona entered the field, ready to give their all against the Mexican duo Gutierrez/Albarran to get to the Pan-American podium. They could not and fell in straight sets 21/18, 21/17 taking fourth place in the tournament.

 

The Cali 2021 Games were worth two places, for the countries with the best ranking by CSV and Norceca in the next Pan American Games Santiago 2023. Brazil guaranteed places in both women and men for CSV and Cuba for men and Puerto Rico for women for Norceca.