The 2026 South American Games in Santa Fe came to a close, with the Argentine delegation claiming 78 gold medals. 

The tally is the country’s best haul in 20 years, as Argentina surpassed the 60-gold-medal milestone for the first time since the 2006 Buenos Aires Games, when it won 107. 

The host nation ended the games with 279 medals, including silver and bronze. In all Olympic-style competitions, it’s the gold medal tally that orders the standings, and not the total tally.

In one of the last competitions, on Friday the Argentina U-19 national team lost the men’s football gold medal match to Paraguay at the Marcelo Bielsa Stadium in Rosario.

Santa Fe 2026 will come to a close on Saturday with an official ceremony at the city’s Parque del Sur. 

The event will kick off at 6 p.m. and will feature protocolary activities, the parade of delegations, the ceremonial hand-over of the flag, and a tribute to the volunteers involved in organizing the Games.

Over 300 students from the provincial Choirs and Orchestras Network will participate in the closing ceremony, which will conclude with performances by Bresh, Cacho Deicas, and others. The event is free to attend, but those interested are required to book a QR Code ticket through the official website

There will also be events in Rosario and Rafaela, which hosted some of the Games’ events.

Canoeing turns into a gold mine

Sprint canoeing picked up the pace for the Argentine delegation as the games entered their final few days, with the locals dominating on the waters of the Laguna Setúbal, near the city of Santa Fe.

On Thursday, Magdalena Garro, Candelaria Sequeira, Paulina Barreiro, and Lucía Dalto won the women’s K4 500 meters race with a time of 1:31.25.

Garro doubled her tally on Friday, winning the women’s K2 500 meters alongside Brenda Rojas with a time of 1:37.51. The Argentine pair finished more than three seconds ahead of Brazil, enough for Garro........

© Buenos Aires Herald