Karate ace Mellado bags Chile’s first medal
Team Chile earned what they hope will be the first of a mountain of medals in the South American Games with a bronze from Alejandro Mellado.
Santiago – Competing in the karate +84kgs at the Centro de Entrenamiento Olímpico, the Chilean beat Ecuador´s Franklin Mina 1-0 to earn his passage to the semi-finals.
Mellado´s hopes of reaching the final were thwarted when he lost to the powerful Venezuelan Ángel Ponte, who triumphed 4-0.
However, it was enough for Mellado to win the bronze and earn a place in the history books as the first Chilean to win a medal in the Santiago-based Games, which started today.
He said: “I always have the expectation to win gold, but I feel proud and very happy to have won the first medal for Chile.
“It´s very important to have competed in an event of these characteristics at the age of 23 and I´m very happy to have obtained the medal.”
Ponte will meet Brazil´s Weillington Rodriguez in the final.
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