HISTORY IN THE MAKING: A RECORD-BREAKING OPENING DAY AT THE PAN AMERICAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIP MEDELLÍN 2026

On the opening day of the Pan American Athletics Championship in Medellín on June 26, 2026, Colombian sprinter Ronal Longa shattered the South American men's 100m record with a stunning time of 9.85 seconds, improving upon both his own Colombian record of 9.96 and Brazilian Erick Felipe Barbosa's previous South American mark of 9.92. All three podium finishers ran sub-10 seconds, with Canada's Eliezer Adjibi finishing second in 9.92 and Puerto Rico's Eloy Benítez third in 9.98. In total, 12 gold medals were awarded on Day 1, with host Colombia claiming seven medals during the session.