Monday, October 30th.- In the semifinals of the Pan American judo, taking place at the Centro de Deportes de Contacto at the Estadio Nacional, Chilean Francisco Solís defeated Canadian Marc Deschenes by a score of 10-0 in the +100-kilogram category. 

As a result, the local athlete advances to the gold medal match, scheduled to commence at 4:10 p.m. local time, against Cuban Andy Granda. In the quarter-finals, Andy Granda defeated Brazilian Rafael Silva, and in the semifinals, he overcame Dominican José Nova. 

"I am very happy because in the previous Pan American Games (Lima 2019), I finished fifth, narrowly missing the bronze medal in a tough match. After that, I experienced a small setback in my career and left judo for a while. I felt I had unfinished business, and I returned thanks to the support of my coach," stated Chilean Solís. 

"I came back to the sport because I didn't want to be seen as a loser, and now I'm more determined than ever to win. This is my redemption, and I'm going to give it my all to win the gold medal," concluded the local athlete. 

Written by Marcelo González y Rodrigo Vargas; translated by Felipe Vergara / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
Ph: Alex Diaz / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport