Wednesday, November 1st.- Athletics has once again brought joy to Chile, which had gone several days without stepping onto the Pan American Games podium. This time, it's Martina Weil who secured a gold medal for the host nation, winning the final of the 400 meters.

On a rainy day at the Estadio Nacional track, the local sprinter triumphed with a time of 51.48 seconds, surpassing Ecuador's Nicole Dayci Caicedo (51.76 seconds) and Colombia's Evelis Aguilar (51.95 seconds).

This marks the third medal earned by the host delegation in athletics, following the victories of discus thrower Lucas Nervi and decathlete Santiago Ford.

With her victory, Martina Weil continues the family tradition of success in the most important sporting event in the continent.

Her mother, Colombian athlete Ximena Restrepo, also won a Pan American silver medal in this distance in Havana in 1991, and a year later, she claimed bronze at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games.

Martina's father, shot putter Gert Weil, was the continental champion in his specialty in Indianapolis in 1987 and Havana in 1991, as well as earning silver in Caracas in 1983 and bronze in Mar del Plata in 1995.

Written by Felipe Hurtado H.; translated by Andrés Castro / Photosport
Photo by Andres Pina/Santiago 2023 / Photosport