Tuesday, October 31th, 2023.- In an outstanding performance, Chilean athlete Santiago Ford will enter the final stretch of the decathlon as the overall leader, making it one of the highlights of this Tuesday afternoon session at the Estadio Nacional.

Born in Cuba and naturalized as a Chilean in late 2022, Ford has enjoyed strong support from the crowd in the central arena of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. He secured victories in both the high jump on Monday and Tuesday and placed fourth in the 110-meter hurdles, as well as second in the discus throw.

In the discus throw, Ford recorded a distance of 49.06 meters, surpassing the overall leader, Samuel Black, by over seven meters. However, this discipline also showcased another North American representative, Ryan Talbot, who climbed to the second spot with an accumulated distance of 50.66 meters.

Therefore, it will be the two afternoon events that determine the winners of the combined event: the javelin throw (7:05 p.m.) and the 1500 meters (8:38 p.m.)

Santiago Ford holds the second-best season performance in the javelin, nearly ten meters ahead of Black and Talbot, which bodes well for him. It's also an opportunity for José Ferreira Santana, currently fourth overall and with the best previous javelin performance.

All these indicators point to a close and highly competitive finish, with the local representative prominently featured in one of the most comprehensive disciplines in athletics.

Written by Nicolás Olea; translated by Josefina Zamrano | Photosport
Photo by Jonnathan Oyarzun/Santiago 2023 / Photosport