Wednesday, November 1st.- With less intense rain than during the rest of the day, Costa Rican athlete Andrea Vargas secured victory in the 100-meter hurdles and delivered her country's first gold medal at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

The Central American runner clocked a time of 13.06 seconds, narrowly defeating Cuban athlete Greisys Roble by just three hundredths of a second, who had won the 2021 Junior Pan American Championship.

However, Vargas couldn't secure her spot in Paris 2024 due to the adverse weather conditions during the race, which prevented her from achieving the minimum qualifying time of 12.77 seconds. She had come very close to this mark in the semifinals, recording 12.78 seconds, the best time in the preliminary phase.

In Lima 2019, the 27-year-old Costa Rican athlete clinched victory, defeating American Chanel Brissett and Jamaican Krystina Simmonds in the final.

The bronze medal went to American athlete Alaysha Johnson (13.19 seconds), who is her country's indoor champion in the 60-meter hurdles.

Brazilian athlete Ketiley Batista (13.38 seconds) finished in fourth place, and Venezuelan athlete Yoveinny Mota (13.39 seconds), winner of the 2022 South American Championship, came in fifth.

Written by Felipe Hurtado H; translated by Rocio Rojas / Photosport
Photo by Alejandro Pagni/Santiago 2023 / Photosport