Nadina Taharally completed all nine lifts to win gold, while Kezia Joseph earned silver and Keisha Abrigo claimed bronze and set two national records as Guyana’s medal tally reached five on day two of the 2026 South American Powerlifting Championships in Santiago, Chile.
Competing yesterday, the three women added to the gold and silver secured by Franklyn Brisport-Luke and Navindra Tamasar on Sunday. Guyana now has two gold medals, two silver and one bronze, with six members of its 17-athlete team having competed at the championships organised by the South American Powerlifting Federation (FESUPO).
Taharally led yesterday’s performances with victory in the women’s 76kg Masters II category. The experienced lifter recorded a best squat of 140kg, a 75kg bench press and a 165kg deadlift for a winning total of 380kg. She finished with a perfect nine successful attempts from nine lifts.
Abrigo also made her mark, establishing national records with her 172.5kg squat and 447.5kg total in the women’s 76kg Open competition. She added a 77.5kg bench press, while her 197.5kg deadlift earned her a FESUPO bronze medal.
Competing alongside Abrigo, debutant Joseph secured silver in the separate bench press competition, which she had entered in addition to the Open event. Her best bench press was 65kg.
Joseph also registered a 170kg squat and a 165kg deadlift to finish with a total of 400kg. Abrigo and Joseph placed fifth and sixth, respectively, in the seven-lifter Open field, with their medals coming from the deadlift and separate bench press competition.
Their performances in the chilly Santiago conditions followed Guyana’s two-medal start on Sunday, when veteran Brisport-Luke delivered the team’s first gold while lifting late into the night.
The sole competitor in the men’s 66kg Masters II equipped category, Brisport-Luke finished with a total of 337.5kg. His best lifts were a 125kg squat, a 72.5kg bench press and a 140kg deadlift.
Tamasar marked his debut with silver in the men’s 66kg Open equipped class, where he competed against Ecuador’s Soria Fernando.
After opening his squat attempts at 182.5kg, Tamasar missed his second attempt at 200kg. With his teammates offering loud encouragement from the stands, he returned to complete the same weight on his third attempt.
He followed that effort with a best bench press of 117.5kg and a 192.5kg deadlift, producing a total of 510kg.
Brazil-based Janice Savory was Guyana’s first athlete on the platform on the opening day. Although she finished without a medal, she completed her debut FESUPO appearance in the women’s 57kg Open classic division with a total of 310kg, comprising a 120kg squat, a 55kg bench press and a 135kg deadlift.
Both Savory and Tamasar experienced early nerves but credited their teammates’ encouragement with helping them through their first appearances for Guyana.
Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation President Franklin Wilson congratulated the pair and said the federation was proud of them and the other eight debutants in the squad.
Wilson said the presence of 10 first-time representatives reflected the sport’s growth and stressed the need for continued development programmes. He also highlighted the federation’s investment in coach education, with two new coaches successfully completing the International Powerlifting Federation’s Level Two course.
Eleven Guyanese athletes are still to compete as the team looks to build on its five-medal return from the opening two days.
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