Peru has made a successful start at the 2026 South American Games in Argentina. Gold in esports and sport shooting, as well as medals in fencing, swimming, weightlifting, and other disciplines, have put Team Perú on the podium early. More than 400 Peruvian athletes are competing in the Games.
The XIII Juegos Suramericanos Santa Fe 2026 will take place from September 12 to 26 in Argentina. More than 4,000 athletes from 15 countries will compete in numerous sports. With over 400 participants, Peru is one of the largest delegations. PeruMagazin had already introduced Team Perú and key medal candidates before the start of the South American Games. Peruvian medals were won in several sports during the first few days of competition.
Carrillo and Becerra Win Gold for Peru
Marko Carrillo and Annia Becerra won gold in the mixed team 10-meter air pistol event. The Peruvian duo prevailed against the competition, relegating Brazilians Tatiana Diniz and Felipe Wu to second place. Bronze also went to Peru: Deysi Jilapa and José Ullilen also reached the podium. This meant that four Peruvian athletes were on the podium at the award ceremony for this event.
For Carrillo and Becerra, it was also a successful title defense. They had already won gold together at the 2022 South American Games in Asunción.
First Gold Comes from Esports
Peru's first gold medal in Santa Fe had previously been won by Luis Suárez. He prevailed in the men's EA Sports FC competition, defeating Venezuelan Jorge Juares in the final. Peru also reached the podium in the women's competition: Patricia Pérez won silver.
Mariana Soriano Wins Peru's First Medal
The Peruvian medal streak was started by Mariana Soriano. The foil fencer reached the final and won silver. In the semifinals, she narrowly defeated Chilean Arantza Inostroza 15:14 before losing to Brazilian Ana Di Renzo 9:15 in the final.
María Luisa Doig also secured a podium finish in épée. Alessio Fukuda contributed another medal in fencing.
Rafaela Fernandini Swims to Silver
In swimming, Rafaela Fernandini secured another Peruvian podium finish. She finished the 100-meter freestyle in 55.65 seconds and won silver.
Three Medals in Weightlifting
Peru's weightlifters also collected medals early on. Luis Bardalez won silver in the up to 65 kg category, while Faviana Gavidia took bronze in the up to 49 kg category. Another bronze medal went to Miguel Ángel Preciado in the up to 70 kg weight class. This brought Peru three podium finishes in weightlifting.
More Medals for Team Perú
Peru was also successful outside of shooting, fencing, swimming, and weightlifting. Itzel Delgado achieved a podium finish in stand-up paddling, while Ana Ricci won a medal in diving.
More successes were added in sport shooting. In addition to gold for Carrillo and Becerra and bronze for Jilapa and Ullilen, Alexia Arenas and Diego Morín also reached a podium finish in the mixed team 10-meter air rifle event.
More than 400 Peruvians Competing for Medals
The current balance is only an interim status. The South American Games will continue until September 26, 2026, with numerous competitions and medal decisions yet to come. Peru is represented by more than 400 athletes. Other major sporting events in Peru and with Peruvian participation can be found in the PeruMagazin event calendar.
The results in Santa Fe are also interesting in view of the major international sporting events in 2027. For example, the Peruvian women's handball national team recently gained international competition experience at the IHF Nations Trophy 2026 in Lima.
Peru's Medals at Santa Fe 2026
Status: September 16, 2026
Gold
Luis Suárez – EA Sports FC, Men
Marko Carrillo and Annia Becerra – Sport Shooting, Mixed Team 10-meter Air Pistol
Silver
Mariana Soriano – Fencing, Foil
Rafaela Fernandini – Swimming, 100-meter Freestyle
Luis Bardalez – Weightlifting, 65 kg
María Luisa Doig – Fencing, Épée
Patricia Pérez – EA Sports FC, Women
Itzel Delgado – Stand-up Paddling
Bronze
Faviana Gavidia – Weightlifting, 49 kg
Alessio Fukuda – Fencing
Deysi Jilapa and José Ullilen – Sport Shooting, Mixed Team 10-meter Air Pistol
Miguel Ángel Preciado – Weightlifting, 70 kg
Ana Ricci – Diving
Alexia Arenas and Diego Morín – Sport Shooting, Mixed Team 10-meter Air Rifle
As the competitions are still ongoing, Peru's medal tally can change daily.
South American Games 2026 – Facts and Figures
Event: XIII Juegos Suramericanos Santa Fe 2026
Period: September 12 to 26, 2026
Host: Argentina
Venues: Santa Fe, Rosario, and Rafaela
Participating Countries: 15
Participants: more than 4,000 athletes
Team Perú: more than 400 athletes
Information Status: September 16, 2026
Lima will also remain the venue for major international sporting events in 2027. From August 20 to 29, the Lima 2027 Parapan American Games will take place there.
Sources and Image Credits
Instituto Peruano del Deporte (IPD)
Organizing Committee Santa Fe 2026
Diario Oficial El Peruano
El Comercio Perú
Hero Image: Congreso de la República del Perú / Wikimedia Commons – Francisco Boza Dibós, CC BY 2.0.
