Tuesday, october 24nd, 2023.- The mixed doubles racquetball pair from the United States, composed of siblings Erika Manilla and Adam Manilla, claimed the gold in the doubles competition at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago. They did so with ease, defeating Argentina's María José Vargas and Diego García.

The American duo secured their victory in straight sets (11-4, 11-4, and 11-6) against the Argentine team, who had the consolation of eliminating the powerful Bolivian pair in the semifinals.

Erika Manilla expressed her joy, saying, "I'm happy. I'm playing with my brother, who is my best friend. We have our entire family here, our parents and siblings, and other sisters were watching on TV. It's a dream to be at the Pan American Games."

She continued, "I speak Spanish because of my dad, who is from El Paso, Texas. I studied the language in school. We don't speak it much at home because my mom doesn't speak it, but I practice with my father." Erika was delighted with her gold in mixed doubles. Her brother, Adam, also joined in the celebration, saying, "We worked hard for this tournament," albeit with a bit of effort in his Spanish.

The gold medal earned by the Manilla siblings is the only one the American team has won in racquetball, but they still have the team competition ahead, which begins tomorrow.

Written by Marcelo López - Alex Savoy; translated by Andrés Castro / Photosport
Photo by Javier Valdes Larrondo/Santiago 2023 / Photosport