Paris Champions Lead Historic South American Para Games

The Para South American Games are back after more than a decade, and some of the world's strongest athletes are ready to compete.

Seventy-five powerlifters from eight nations will gather in Valledupar, Colombia this weekend for the region's biggest adaptive sports celebration. Three Paris 2024 Paralympic champions are leading the field: Venezuela's Clara Fuentes and Brazil's Mariana D'Andrea and Tayana Medeiros.

The competition marks a major milestone for South American para sports. The first Para South American Games happened in Santiago, Chile back in 2014, but the event went quiet for 12 years until now.

Brazil arrives with serious momentum after their best Paralympic performance ever. The country won just two Paralympic powerlifting medals in its entire history before Paris 2024, then claimed four medals in five days last summer.

D'Andrea is now a two-time Paralympic champion in her weight class. Medeiros took gold in Paris and silver at the recent World Championships in Cairo.

The Ripple Effect

Colombia is rolling out the welcome mat for nearly 80 competitors across 21 medal events from July 4 to 6. The competition takes place at the Gymnastics Coliseum, a venue built just four years ago that shows how the region is investing in sports infrastructure.

Host nation Colombia brings its own star power with Fabio Torres, a two-time Paralympic medalist who will compete in front of his home crowd. Chile's Marion Serrano, fresh off her Paris bronze medal, sets up a dream rematch against champion Medeiros.

Smaller delegations from Argentina, Panama, and Peru round out the field. Panama's Rey Melchior Dimas Vasquez, a Parapan American Games silver medalist, proves that powerlifting talent spans the entire continent.

The games will stream live on YouTube through Colombia's national broadcaster, making these athletes' strength and determination accessible to millions across South America and beyond. Venezuela's Fuentes enters as the dominant force in her category, holding both Paralympic and world championship titles.

Juan Carlos Garrido of Chile returns to defend his 2014 gold medal in the same weight class he won 12 years ago, showing the lasting power of adaptive athletics. After more than a decade of waiting, South America's para powerlifting community finally has its stage again.