Andrés Racca wins Pan American Accuracy Championships 2026

The 2nd FAI Pan American Paragliding Accuracy Championships finished in Arica, Chile on Sunday 19 July. BGD Team Pilot Andrés Racca took gold in the Pan-Americans, with Rafael Carvallo from Colombia joint second, flying a Punk. Team pilot Nathalia Pinzon Gomez (COL) took silver in the women’s rankings.

World Champion Yang Chen (CHN) was invited as a guest pilot and showed his very impressive skills, winning the Overall rankings with an astounding 3cm total across 11 scored rounds!

With a scoreboard of almost all zeros, Yang equalled his own World record of five consecutive 0s, but sadly did not get the elusive 6th needed to beat the record – this time.

Yang Chen’s scores over the 12 rounds: 0,0,0,0,2,0,0,0,0,0,2,1,0.

Four of Andrés Racca’s scores were also 0s, two of them consecutive giving him the Pan-American record. His total score was 35cm.
 
In the women's competition, Nathalia’s second place was just 1cm behind the winner, Elena Javiera Espinoza Sepulveda (75cm and 74cm totals).  
 
Congratulations to all pilots for what the FAI summarised as an outstanding championship and an incredible display of skill, consistency and composure under pressure.
 
Results
 
Overall
1.     Yang Chen (CHN), Adam Spot, 3cm
2.     Andrés Racca (ARG), Adam Spot, 35cm
3.     Diego Lopez (COL), 38cm
 
PanAms
1.     Andrés Racca (ARG), Adam Spot, 35cm
2.     Diego Lopez (COL), 38cm
=2 Rafael Carvallo (COL), Punk, 38cm

Women
1. Elena Javiera Espinoza Sepulveda (CHI), 74cm
2. Nathalia Pinzon Gomez (COL), Adam Spot, 75 points
3. Jeroma Sexton (GUA), Epic, 448 points

 Photos: Facebook/FAI – World Airsports Federation