Sixteen-year-old Diego Parra Vergara earned Chile its second Olympic quota place for the Paris 2024 Games as he won the 10m air pistol men title on the opening day of finals at the Olympic Qualification CAT XIV Rifle and Pistol Championships in Buenos Aires.
Vergara, who finished 39th in his only individual World Cup appearance in Rio de Janeiro last year, put himself in line to become one of the youngest shooting sport Olympians with a total of 244.2 points – only 2.1 off the world junior record.
He turned 16 on March 29.
After taking over the lead in the opening elimination round he was never headed, with Nickolaus Mowrer of the United States taking silver in this XIV Championship of the Americas, and Canada’s Tugrol Ozer earning bronze with 219.1.
Chile already had one Paris 2024 quota place booked in the women’s skeet thanks to Francisca Crovetto Chadid following last year’s World Championships in Baku.
Ecuador also earned a second Paris 2024 quota place on the opening day of finals at the Argentine Federal Shooting Range as Andrea Perez Pena won the 10m air pistol women final.
Pena, 33, put herself in line for a third Olympic appearance after Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 as she finished a clear winner with a score of 241.4 points.
Like Vergara, the 2019 Pan American Games silver and bronze medallist established a lead she never lost after the first of the elimination rounds.
Diana Durango Flores earned Ecuador a Paris 2024 quota place in the 25m pistol event last year.
Silver went to Katelyn Abeln of the United States, who totalled 239.3, with her compatriot Alexis Lagan taking bronze on 217.4.
The 10m air pistol men’s team title went to the Brazilian trio of Felipe Wu, Caio De Almeida and Roberto Gomes.
Mowrer won a second silver with the US team, partnering Jay Shi and Samuel Gens.
Guatemala claimed bronze through Albino Jimenez Y Jimenez, Jose Castillo Aguillar and Wilmar Madrid.
The women’s team title went to Mexico, represented by Alejandra Zavala Vasquez, Andrea Ibarra Miranda and Alejandra Cervantes Rodriguez.
Pena earned a second medal on the day as she helped Ecuador win team silver with Durango Flores and Sofia Padilla.
Bronze went to the Canadian team of Yanka Vasileva, Kimberly Britton and Lynda Kiejko.
Six more Paris 2024 quota places are on offer at the Championships, which conclude on Sunday (April 7).
A total of 168 athletes from 21 countries are due to participate.
Live streaming of the competition can be accessed at: https://play.tycsports.com/polideportivo/copa-de-las-americas-tiro-dia-1-id573834.html