Guyana’s sprint team delivered a commanding performance on the regional stage, with Ezekiel Millington and Gordon Thompson securing gold and silver respectively in the men’s 100 metres at the 2026 South American Youth Games.
Competing at the Rommel Fernández Stadium, the Guyanese pair outpaced a competitive field that included athletes from Peru, Paraguay, Chile, and Brazil to secure a decisive one-two finish.
Millington crossed the line first in 10.50 seconds, narrowly missing the Games record by just two hundredths of a second. Thompson followed with a strong run of 10.64 seconds to claim silver, while Chile’s Franco Stefoni took bronze in 10.72 seconds.
“I’m happy to have brought honor to my country at these Games,” Millington said after his victory. He added, “I’m happy to bring home the medal for Guyana. This is a great opportunity for Guyana and puts it on the map. I just want to send a big greeting to my whole country. Coming here and achieving this fills me with pride.”
The result marks a significant milestone for Guyana’s athletics programme, highlighting the country’s growing strength in sprint events at the youth level.
In the women’s 100 metres, Chile’s Roxana Ramírez secured gold with a time of 11.81 seconds. She had earlier set a new event record of 11.69 seconds in the semifinals, though she did not surpass that mark in the final. Argentina’s Olivia Conesa finished second in 11.87 seconds, while Colombia’s Emily Román claimed bronze in 12.08 seconds.
Track and field action at the Games continues on Friday, April 24, with 11 finals scheduled, including the men’s and women’s javelin, the 800 metres, and the 4×100 metre relays, as athletes across the region continue to compete for top honours.
