Juan Sebastian Contreras: “Every Match Built My Confidence”

At the 2026 Pan American SAMBO Championships, held in Alajuela, Costa Rica, Colombia's Juan Sebastian Contreras Silva claimed gold in the men's -79kg Combat SAMBO category. For the athlete, this victory marked his fourth Pan American title, and his third in a row.

“This is something incredible. I've now won the Pan American Championships for the fourth time – and the third time in a row. Honestly, going into the tournament I was worried it would be really hard to win again, but every match built my confidence. I had a tough semi-final against a Mexican opponent, it wasn't easy. I gave up a few attacks, but I already understood what I needed to do to turn things around – and I managed it. I know my own capabilities well, I kept improving as the tournament went on, and in the end I was able to fully show what I've got in the final,” the champion said.

A special place in the athlete's words was reserved for the memory of a close friend.

“I'm dedicating this championship win to my friend who, sadly, is no longer with us – Andres. I love him so much. He always supported me, he was always there for me. I'm also dedicating this to my grandmother and grandfather – one part is for them, and the other is for my friend,” Contreras shared.

Asked about the toughest part of the tournament, the athlete said the real challenge came in the preparation – a process of working on himself throughout.

“The hardest part was staying focused the whole way through the preparation – first in training before the tournament, and then holding on to my mental composure once I was actually at the competition venue. Now I've got that experience, I've learned to handle anxiety, to know when to push and when to take a breath at the right moment. And most importantly, to enjoy what I'm doing. I'm managing that, although there's still a lot of work ahead, because I dream of winning a world championship medal. But on the day I won the Pan American title, I just want to say that I love my sport, I love the whole of the Americas, and this – this is Colombia,” said Juan Sebastian Contreras.