Competing at the Hotel Bogota, Luna Arredonido won the men’s up to 80 kilograms event while his compatriot Perla Barcenas won the women’s over 86kg division.

In Arredonido’s contest the Mexican won in part thanks to three failed lifts from Colombia’s Palaci Palomeque.

Had the Colombian managed 186kg with his final lift he would have claimed the gold but, having already failed twice at 185kg, his third botched attempt saw him crash out with no lift recorded, meaning Arredondo was able to claim the title with his third lift at 185kg.

Brazil claimed second and bronze in that event through Ailton Bento de Souza and Andrew Luiz Paz, who lifted 176kg and 159kg respectively.

Barcenas’ event was less close, as she lifted 140kg with her third attempt to win by 40kg.

Finishing in second place was another Mexican, Maria Lira Partida, while Lithuania’s Karolina Lingyte picked up the bronze medal with a lift of 91kg.

Elsewhere in today’s competition, Turkmenistan also picked up two gold medals, in the men’s up to 72kg and women’s up to 79kg divisions.

In such cases where an athlete not from the Americas won a medal, a second medal of the same colour was given to the next best athlete from the Americas as well.

In the men’s up to 72kg class, Sergey Meladze claimed the overall gold with a second round lift of 180kg.

He beat Brazil’s Ezequiel Correa, who won overall silver, but Americas gold, with a list of 166kg, also in round two.

Colombia’s Andres Salazar then given the overall bronze medal and Americas silver, thanks to a second round lift of 165kg.

Venezuela’s Jackson Blanco claimed the Americas bronze medal with a lift of 155kg.

In the women’s 79kg class it was Mayagozel Ekeyeva who won the gold for Turkmenistan, with a lift of 112kg in round three.

It was enough to beat Chile’s Serrano Guajardo by 9kg, but the effort of 103kg from the 19-year-old was enough to give her the Americas gold and a world junior record and junior American record.

Brazil found themselves on the podium again, with overall bronze and Americas silver medals through Marcia Menezes, who lifted 99kg in round two.

The Americas bronze medal went to another Brazilian Elizete Araujo, who actually finished fifth overall.

She was also beaten by Kenya’s Joyce Njuguna, but still found herself on the podium as the third best athlete from the Americas.

The day’s other gold medals went to Chile’s Maria Ortiz and Brazil’s Tayana Medeiros, winner of the women’s up to 73kg and women’s up to 86kg divisions respectively.

Ortiz beat two Brazilians in her event to win with a lift of 106kg.

The silver medal went to Angela Faria Teixeira, who lifted the same as Amanda de Sousa at 88kg but was given second place thanks to her lighter bodyweight.

The competition is due to continue tomorrow with action across four more divisions.