Colombia shines in men's, USA dominates women's at Rio Pan American Gymnastics

Colombia emerged as a dominant force in the men's artistic gymnastics competition at the 2026 Pan American Championship in Rio de Janeiro, securing three gold medals and showcasing a new generation of talent. The event concluded Sunday after five days of intense competition.

In the men's all-around contest on Friday, Colombia achieved a remarkable one-two finish with 19-year-old gymnasts Camilo Vera taking the gold medal and Ángel Barajas earning the silver. This success highlighted the strength of Colombia's emerging gymnasts on the continental stage.

The Colombian dominance extended to the apparatus finals. Vera clinched the gold medal in the vault event, ahead of Josué Armijo of Chile (silver) and José López of Puerto Rico (bronze). Barajas also reached the top of the podium, winning gold on the high bar with the highest score of the day, 15.233. He further added a bronze medal in the pommel horse and a silver in the floor exercise.

These performances underscore the high caliber of Colombia's young gymnasts. Vera and Barajas, both 19, have transitioned from junior competitions to achieve significant success in their first senior Pan American championships. Vera had previously won three gold medals at the 2025 Junior Pan American Games, and Barajas brought two gold medals from the 2023 World Junior Artistic Gymnastics Championships to Rio.

In the women's competition, the United States asserted its dominance, with Claire Pease winning the all-around gold and Charleigh Bullock taking silver. Brazil's Thais Fidelis secured the bronze. Despite a strong performance from Rebeca Andrade, who won gold in the vault, Brazil's women's team did not lead the overall standings, securing only two additional bronze medals. Argentina also had a notable showing, with Isabella Ajalla winning gold on the balance beam.