Mexico dominate Under 19 Pan American Championship in San Antonio (USA) 

Teenage athletes from six countries took part in a successful Under 19 Pan American Championship in San Antonio (USA) from June 17-19.

This is a momentous year for teenage pentathletes right across the world and especially in the Americas, with the 2018 Youth Olympic Games taking place in Buenos Aires (ARG) in October.

Argentina were one of the nations who enjoyed podium success, with one silver and two bronze medals, along with Guatemala and the host nation USA. But Mexico were the outstanding team, winning all five gold medals thanks to their exceptional Laser-Run speed.

Canada and the Dominican Republic also contributed to a strong competition.

Janusz Peciak (POL), 1976 Olympic champion and UIPM Executive Board Member for Sport, said: “The standard of competition was high throughout the Under 19 Pan American Championship and I congratulate all the teams who competed, especially Mexico who performed very strongly in the Laser-Run across all categories.

“The Mixed Relay was a major highlight of this competition, with 23 teams participating. The popularity of the format among pentathletes was evident, and you could see how  much joy they took from working in partnership.”

The individual champions from Mexico were Catherine Mayran Oliver and Alexis Vazquez, with Melissa Mireles and Lorenzo Macias picking up the silver medals behind their compatriots.

Martina Armanazqui (ARG) claimed women’s individual bronze while the equivalent men’s prize went to Franco Serrano (ARG).

Argentina claimed silver in the Mixed Relay ahead of bronze medallists Guatemala, who took silver in both the men’s and women’s team categories. Hosts USA managed to take bronze in both team categories.