Pan American Games: Argentina achieved another gold and a heroic bronze

Argentina Isabel Di Tella today he won the medal gold in female sword fencing of the Panamerican Games Santiago de Chile 2023.

The fencer from Buenos Aires, 30 years old and from the neighborhood of Vicente López, defeated the Peruvian María Doig Calderón in the final by 15-9, in a fight held at the Paralympic Sports Center in the Chilean capital.

Graduated in mathematics from Harvard University, the epee player achieved the fourth gold medal for the delegation, after the two achieved in Wakeboard (Eugenia de Armas, Kai Ditsch) and in the men’s singles tennis (Facundo Díaz Acosta).

To reach the highest step of the podium, Di Tella, who had won the bronze medal in Lima 2019, defeated the Colombian María Jaramillo Quevedo (5-4), the Chilean Paula Vásquez del Campo in the group stage (5-4) and the Costa Rican Karina Dyner (5-3). Instead she lost to the Mexican Valeria Tejeda (3-4) and the Canadian Ruien Xiao (0-5).

In the so-called Table of 16, the Argentine once again beat the Chilean Vásquez del Campo by 15-10, to get into the quarterfinals, an instance in which she narrowly defeated the Brazilian Nathalie Moellhausen by 15-13.

In one of the semifinals, meanwhile, Di Tella beat the Chilean Analía Fernández Canales, 15-11.

In the same way, the Buenos Aires Melisa Englert Urrutia, 32 years old, beat the Costa Rican Daniela Jurado Salazar (5-2) and the Venezuelan María Gabriela Martínez (5-4) in the qualifying stage. She and she succumbed to the Mexican María Fernanda Morales (3-4), the Canadian Alexanne Verriet (3-5) and the Brazilian Moellhausen (4-5).

Pascual Di TellaIsabel’s brother, reached the quarterfinals in the men’s individual saber, losing to the Canadian Fares Arfa, 15-12.

The silver medalist in Lima 2019 had overcome the qualifying stage with three wins and two losses, while in the round of 16 he beat the Mexican Gibrán Zea Armenta, 15-13.

And the Cordoban from San Francisco, Stefano Lucchetti26 years old, lost in the round of 16 against the Colombian Sebastián Cuellas Pena, 15-13.

An epic bronze in fighting

The Argentine fighter Catriel Muriel won the bronze medal in the Panamerican Gamesin the category over 125 kilos, by defeating the Puerto Rican Jonovan Smith in a dramatic fight in which he suffered an injury to his right leg and had to resist until the end to get on the podium.

The native of Moreno beat his rival 7-6 in a distressing fight, as he had a severe muscle problem in his right leg in the last stretch, when he won 6-4.

With grit and a lot of heart, Muriel managed to hold on despite Smith’s efforts to get the necessary points to win the fight and third place.

Muriel reached the podium after beating the Cuban Ibrain Torres Espinosa in the first round, then lost in the semifinal with the Venezuelan José Díaz and finally beat Smith. Thus, he added the eighteenth bronze medal for the Argentine delegation and the first in wrestling.