Antigua and Barbuda’s Daniel Antonio brought home gold from the Pan American Arm Wrestling Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, securing victory in the Left Arm Youth 90KG+ division while representing his island nation on the continental stage.

Antonio’s triumph came after defeating a strong international field, including Costa Rica’s Santiago Carvajal Córdoba who claimed silver, and host nation Argentina’s Matias Herrera who rounded out the podium in third place.

The competition proved challenging for the young Antiguan athlete, who was unable to replicate his left-arm success in the Right Arm Youth 90KG+ category, where he failed to medal.

Reflecting on his mixed performance at the championships, Antonio took to social media to share his experience and outlook for future competitions.

“Although receiving 0 medals on right arm yesterday the number of connections made are immeasurable,” Antonio wrote on Facebook. “I met Arm wrestlers from all over North and South America. Most importantly, each one now knows about my beautiful country Antigua and Barbuda.”

The athlete acknowledged the challenging conditions he faced during the tournament, noting external factors that may have affected his performance.

“The cold weather and refs weren’t on my side but the goal for my next competition is to be twice as strong so I leave no room for error,” Antonio stated, demonstrating his determination to return stronger.