Nancy Haidar won gold for Venezuela in taekwondo at the 2026 South American Youth Games

Published at: 21/04/2026 10:55 PM

Nancy Haidar won the gold medal in the women's individual poomsae category at the South American Youth Games in Panama, beating Brazil's Ana Goncalves at the Irving Saladino Sports City Gymnasium.

The double gold medalist of the Central American and Caribbean School Games Montería , Colombia 2025, gave a masterful presentation at the grand final.

In his first run, Haidar scored 8,466 points, making a key difference to the 8,299 scored by Goncalves.

Later, in the second round, she liquidated the confrontation with a record of 8,200 against the Brazilian representative's 8,099, sealing the victory with a final average of 8,333 points.

Way to the top

The road to the top began in the quarterfinals, where Haidar clearly outscored Ecuadorian Camila Manzano with a score of 8,182 against her rival's 7,782.

Later, in the semifinals, the Venezuelan faced the Peruvian Raquel Gil in a duel that was defined in the second execution.

Both athletes equaled 8,100 points in the first presentation, but the Venezuelan won the final with a remarkable performance of 8,466 against 8,033 of the Peruvian.

With an average of 8,283 points, Haidar secured his place in the title fight, which he eventually won.

Complex shapes

“I felt very good, it was an incredible moment, I enjoyed it, I trusted myself and the results came out,” said the taekwondisat after winning the gold medal.

Regarding the technical difficulty in the executions, he explained that there were forms such as Kungan and Pyongwon that require a great command of balance.

The medalist stressed that her performance on the mat was the fruit of faith in her preparation and in the instructions of her coach.

Finally, he dedicated the victory to his closest circle and thanked him for the support he received throughout the process.

“I dedicate the medal to my family, to my dad, to my mom, to my sister, to my teacher, to my teachers; to all those who were behind this preparation, thank you very much for all the support and trust,” he concluded.

Mazo News Team