Gianna Woodruff made history by winning the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the XIII South American Games Santa Fe 2026, a result that gave Panama its second gold medal in the competition. The Panamanian athlete won with a time of 54.11 seconds, a record that also set a new Games record, surpassing a mark that had stood for 32 years. Woodruff dominated the final from start to finish, showing her hierarchy and control in every part of the race, in a performance that confirmed her status as one of the leading figures in regional athletics. The silver medal went to Colombian María Rocha, with a time of 56.04 seconds, while the bronze went to Brazilian Rita Ferreira, who recorded 56.15.
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The difference with the silver medalist (María Rocha – 56.04) was 1.93 seconds, a significant margin in races of this level. Rita Ferreira (56.15) completed the podium.
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She won a gold medal at the 2025 Central American Games, the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, and the 2026 South American Games.
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This was Panama’s second gold medal at Santa Fe 2026.
Domain in the Regional Cycle.
The gold medal in Santa Fe 2026 consolidates Woodruff’s dominance in the Olympic cycle, in which she has consistently made a difference. The Panamanian was champion at the Guatemala 2025 Central American Games, also with a record, and repeated the title at the Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, again with a historic mark. With this victory at the South American Games, Woodruff completes a perfect streak in the cycle, having won three consecutive titles in the main regional competitions, all accompanied by a record.
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