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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. |
