Venezuela Expects Important Victories in the Pan American Games

With 297 qualified athletes, Venezuela anticipates ranking among the top 10 countries in the medal standings at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

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The Venezuelan delegation has not yet disclosed the final number of participating athletes, but they have confirmed the participation of 153 women and 144 men in the competition.

Venezuela will compete in 31 different sports, encompassing 33 disciplines, with the goal of securing points or direct qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The delegation aspires to return with a minimum of 10 gold medals, with the primary focus on the sport of weightlifting, in which Keydomar Vallenilla and Julio Mayora, both medalists in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will compete.

President Nicolas Maduro's text reads, "New victory for Venezuela! The young Keydomar Vallenilla won the gold medal in Snatch, becoming the first Venezuelan senior world champion in weightlifting. A firm step for what will be an extraordinary participation in the Olympic Games Paris 2024."

Additionally, promising results are expected from athletes like Robeilys Peinado in pole vault, Daniel Dhers, an Olympic medalist, in BMX cycling, and the Limardo brothers in fencing.

Venezuela is also pinning its hopes on karate athletes, including Andres Madera, who secured gold at the 2019 Pan American Games, and Yorgelis Salazar, the reigning champion of the Premier League of karate this year.

Notably absent from the roster is world record-holder in the triple jump, Yulimar Rojas, who announced in early September that she would not participate in the Pan American Games to focus on her preparation for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where she aims to defend her gold medal and her global record.

Rojas explained that the Chilean event "disrupts the preparation for the crucial winter season," which is essential for the Olympics, where she had already secured her spot in July by excelling at the Central American Games.