Tierra del Fuego has selected its top regional competitors following the latest round of the Juegos Fueguinos, a multi-sport qualifying tournament organized by the provincial Secretaría de Deportes under the Ministerio de Bienestar Ciudadano y Justicia. The statewide competitions serve to determine the athletes who will represent the province at the upcoming Juegos Deportivos Nacionales Evita.
### Provincial Swimming Finals at Ushuaia Natatorium
The swimming finals took place at the Natatorio del Polo de Andorra “Héroes de Malvinas” in Ushuaia, running from 10:00 to 14:00 hours with approximately 15 swimmers competing from both Río Grande and Ushuaia, according to the Secretaría de Deportes.
Athletes raced across 50-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter distances covering freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and individual medley events. While relay races formed part of the team competition schedule, official scoring and awards were distributed on an individual basis across female and male divisions.
In the female individual standings, Emilia Etchegoyen and Uma Ponce tied for the top spot with 36 points each, followed by Maia Morella García with 29 points. In the male individual rankings, Francisco Hachuel Wainnright led the field with 36 points, while Bryyan Josué Correa and Noah Alejandro Espíndola both finished with 28 points.
Team standings highlighted regional depth across the province. In the female team category, Natación Ushuaia dominated with 195 points against Río Grande’s 80 points. Conversely, the male team category went to Río Grande with 119 points, ahead of Natación Ushuaia’s 49 points.
### Table Tennis Championships in Río Grande
Concurrently, the Gimnasio María Auxiliadora in Río Grande hosted the provincial table tennis finals of the Juegos Fueguinos to establish the final podium placements.
In the male division, Sebastián Gómez captured the gold medal, Benjamín Moya took silver, and Lautaro Hernández earned bronze. In the female division, Alma Velásquez secured the gold medal, Charo Dee Almendra finished with silver, and Mía Moreira claimed the bronze medal.
### Seniors Competitions Conclude in Río Grande
In a separate division of the Juegos Fueguinos 2026 dedicated to older adults, Río Grande hosted the final provincial showdowns for Newcom, Tejo, Table Tennis, and Chess, bringing together participants from Río Grande, Ushuaia, and Tolhuin, according to Portal del Beagle.
The chess finals occurred at the Polo Creativo with eight participants. Daniel Zsilavecz, Aníbal Adorno, Oscar Mendoza, Daniel Casella, and Ester Otero earned qualification spots to represent Tierra del Fuego at the national level.
Table tennis doubles for seniors unfolded at the Polideportivo María Auxiliadora. Edith Igor and Mirta Osorio won the women’s doubles, Graciela Quelín and Francisco Cano took the mixed doubles, and Ushuaia representatives Hugo Romero and Rosamel Gómez secured the men’s doubles.
In the Newcom tournament, the Río Grande team Hijos del Poder (HDP) claimed the provincial title, with Ushuaia’s IMD taking second and Tolhuin’s Pioneros finishing third. In Tejo, Río Grande competitors dominated: Carmen Ortiz and Rosa Benítez won the women’s competition, while Anselmo Chamorro and Luis Navarro took the men’s category.
Provincial Minister of Bienestar Ciudadano y Justicia Lucía Rossi attended the closing ceremonies, emphasizing the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle and fostering community integration across all age groups through competitive sport.