Under the Panamanian summer sun, on the Amador Causeway, the Brazilian Felipe Santos was crowned a three-time champion of the Ironman 70.3 Panamá 2026 this Sunday, completing the triathlon in a time of 3 hours, 48 minutes, and 57 seconds. Some 1,500 athletes from more than 50 countries participated in the triathlon, considered one of the most important in Latin America on the IRONMAN calendar. Santos, from Curitiba, Brazil, recorded times of 17 minutes and 35 seconds in the swimming segment; 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 20 seconds in the 90-kilometer cycling leg; and 1 hour, 23 minutes, and 26 seconds in the final running segment. The wind picked up a bit at that moment. The Paraguayan Susana Guillén was the first female athlete to cross the finish line, with a time of 4 hours, 30 minutes, and 37 seconds. Action began just before 7:00 a.m., with athletes diving into the water at 21.8 °C / 71.2 °F for the first of the three parts of the race (1.9 km), in the waters near the Panama Canal. The three-time Brazilian champion averaged 44.4 kilometers per hour in the cycling and commented: “The first lap was very fast; the second cost me a bit, and in the last one I regained the rhythm. The important thing is to surround yourself with good friends and people who push you and tell you: ‘let's go’,” pointed out the Paraguayan. The male podium was completed by the Paraguayan Andrés Arce, in second place with a time of 3:48:57, and the young Italian Giacomo Mevio, just 21 years old, in third place with a mark of 3:56:14. On the female podium, the Colombian Stefania Ramos also placed in second place with a time of 4:33:13, and Brenda Schaupp, from the Dominican Republic, in third place with a mark of 4:33:19. The worst disability is a bad attitude. Sunday's event also left a world record: the Colombian Alberto Carrillo broke the mark for visually impaired athletes with a time of 5 hours, 3 minutes, and 14 seconds, surpassing the previous record by 3 minutes, along with his guide Anuar Mata. “We took him out of the stadium, realizing that the worst disability is a bad attitude,” was the Colombian's emotional message, leaving a lesson of will and perseverance. The winner, Susana Guillén, showed herself to be emotional after the race, stating that she almost did not participate in the event. “Happy to return and be here. I don’t know, but I was about not to come.
