Golfer and speed skater named Paraguay’s flag-bearers for South American Games

Sofía García and speed skater Julio César Mirena will lead Paraguay’s delegation as flag-bearers at the 2026 South American Games in Santa Fe, Argentina.

The competition will run from Sept. 12 to 26, the Paraguayan Olympic Committee said. García made history in 2023 by becoming the first Paraguayan athlete to win a Pan American gold medal. Mirena, meanwhile, is regarded as one of the fastest speed skaters in the Americas.

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Our flag-bearers are two examples of sacrifice, two examples that it really is possible, through training and sacrifice, to reach the top.

Both athletes are among Paraguay’s medal hopes at the Games. The country aims to win at least 36 medals, according to Olympic committee president Camilo Pérez.

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I feel that the Guaraní spirit will emerge again.

“Our flag-bearers are two examples of sacrifice, two examples that it really is possible, through training and sacrifice, to reach the top,” Pérez said at a ceremony for the delegation. He also recalled Paraguay’s record haul of 48 medals at the previous South American Games, which the country hosted for the first time.

“I feel that the Guaraní spirit will emerge again,” Pérez said. He urged the athletes to believe in their ability, telling them that “the limit is only in our minds, it is nowhere else.” Paraguay will compete with 343 athletes, down from the 574 it sent four years ago, across 32 sports in the 43-event competition.

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The limit is only in our minds, it is nowhere else.