SANTA FE (DA) — Glenka Antonia made history for Curaçao on Friday, clearing 1.87 meters to win the women’s high jump and secure the island’s first gold medal in South American Games history.
Antonia captured the title at the XIII South American Games in Santa Fe, finishing ahead of Brazil’s Maria De Oliveira and Colombia’s Maria Arboleda, who both cleared 1.85 meters.
The Curaçao athlete entered the competition at 1.76 meters and cleared 1.76, 1.79, 1.81 and 1.83 on her first attempts. She needed two attempts at both 1.85 and the winning height of 1.87.
With the gold already secured, Antonia moved the bar to 1.90 meters, which would have matched the South American Games record set by Colombia’s Maria Fernanda Murillo in 2018. Antonia missed all three attempts at that height.
De Oliveira took silver at 1.85, matching her season best, while Arboleda earned bronze at the same height based on the countback.
Antonia’s 1.87-meter performance delivered a landmark result for Curaçao, putting the country atop a South American Games podium for the first time.