Argentina lands at the Santa Fe 2026 South American Games with the major goal of returning to the top of the continental medal table, a feat it has not achieved since the Buenos Aires 2006 edition. To do so, the country is fielding its largest delegation of the past two decades, made up of 658 athletes. Within this extensive roster, several standout names carry the biggest podium expectations.
Key absences at the start and the flag bearers
The national team’s journey began with two major absences due to health complications. Eighteen-year-old swimmer Agostina Hein, the greatest promise of Argentine swimming, had to withdraw after undergoing emergency surgery for appendicitis on August 28; she was joined by José “Maligno” Torres, the Olympic BMX champion, who was also sidelined through injury. Both athletes were the leading candidates to carry the national flag before the Argentine Olympic Committee ultimately appointed Sofía Cairó (Las Leonas) and Rubén Rézola (canoeing) as the flag bearers. With Hein out, the country’s swimming hopes will rest on leading figures such as Macarena Ceballos, Santiago Grassi and Andrea Berrino.
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Golden mothers, speed and water
Argentine athletics will have Belén Casetta as its leading standard-bearer, as she defends the gold medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase won in Asunción 2022. The athlete, who had come off becoming Pan American champion at Santiago 2023 just months after giving birth to her first baby, returns to the track following the birth of her second daughter. Alongside her, Micaela Levaggi stands out as the South American record holder in the 1,500 meters, as do Elián Larregina and Joaquín Gómez, both Ibero-American runners-up. In wakeboarding, 27-year-old athlete from Escobar Eugenia De Armas arrives as a three-time world champion and winner of two South American gold medals (2018 and 2022) and two Pan American golds (2019 and 2023). She will compete alongside her sister Victoria De Armas, with whom she has shared the national team for more than a decade.
The golden present of field hockey
Argentine hockey is enjoying an absolute golden spell. Las Leonas arrive as the newly crowned 2026 World Cup champions after defeating the Netherlands in the final, and in Santa Fe they will feature seven players from that campaign: Mercedes Artola, Brisa Bruggesser, Sofía Cairó, Lara Casas, Zoe Díaz, Emma Knöbl and Milagros Alastra. On the men’s side, Los Leones are coming off a bronze medal at the same World Cup after beating the Dutch 2-1 (matching their best-ever finish from The Hague 2014), an achievement secured just 24 hours after the women’s title. From that medal-winning squad, Nicolás Cicileo, Thomas Habif and Tomás Ruiz will bring their quality to the delegation at Santa Fe 2026.
More athletes to watch closely
The range of contenders is rounded out across various disciplines. Table tennis will feature Olympians Horacio Cifuentes and Santiago Lorenzo in the men’s event, joined by Camila Argüelles and Ana Codina in the women’s. In archery, the spotlight will be on Damián Jajarabilla (fresh off his Olympic debut in Paris) and Iván Nikolajuk. Rowing will include two-time Olympian Evelyn Silvestro, who won bronze in the lightweight double sculls at Santiago 2023. Finally, in rugby sevens, Los Pumas 7s stars Marcos Moneta and Santiago Mare will lead a team that already secured its place at the Lima 2027 Pan American Games after winning the Asunción 2025 Junior Pan American Games.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
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