Saturday 4th November 2023.- Colombia and Brazil had a brilliant day in artistic skating, confirming the work they did last Saturday by dominating the freestyle skate events in the female's and male's competitions, respectively.

For the Colombian team, skater Sandra Díaz García took the lead, scoring 77.75, which, when added to the 54.06 from Saturday's short program, allowed her to secure the gold medal.

Delighted after her victory, the Colombian athlete emphasized the significance of this medal for her: "I came from a world championship where I failed, and there was frustration. Leaving there and coming here, with a change in attitude and intensive training, to win this gold, means a lot. It was a program in which I could give much more of myself, but seeing that it produced the desired result, I ended up very happy. It's a dream come true because I knew I had worked hard for this medal," she stated.

In the Brazilian team, the one celebrating was Leite Medziukevicius, who, with a total score of 114.6, combined with the 73.61 from the short program, managed to overcome a problem with his skate that forced him to interrupt his routine and secure the gold.

"I was a bit worried about my skate issue. Fortunately, I was able to continue well and take the gold. When I found out I was in first place, I was very happy because it's my first Pan American gold after two silvers in this competition. The hard work paid off, and this is recognition of years of effort," he said after the triumph.

With this gold medal, Colombia solidifies its position in the sixth place on the medal table with 24 gold medals, while Brazil maintains its second place with 63 gold medals.

Written by Patricio Echagüe - Macarena Navias; translated by Rocio Rojas / Photosport
Photo by Mauricio Ulloa/Santiago 2023 / Photosport