Team USA secured another gold medal.
A heart-stopping moment unfolded in the women’s water skiing jump final. Chile’s Agustina Varas appeared to be on track to win the gold with a jump of 50.2 meters. However, her fate hinged on the performance of US skier Regina Jaquess (pictured above), the gold medalist in Lima 2019.
Jaquess made a jump of 49.8 meters on her second attempt, leaving everything to be decided on her third and final try. After being towed by the boat and executing an imperfect jump, Chile’s audience erupted in joy upon learning that Jaquess had fallen short of the mark, seemingly leaving the gold to Varas.
However, it was later discovered that the speed of the United State’s boat during her first jump exceeded the allowable limit at 54 kilometers per hour. This stroke of misfortune gave the North American skier the opportunity to retake the jump and have a second chance at claiming back-to-back titles. After a spectacular comeback, Jaquess established a distance of 52.2 meters.
As a result, Regina Jaquess secured the gold medal, displacing Chile’s Agustina Varas, who ultimately settled for the silver. The bronze went to Canada’s skier Paige Rini, with a jump of 47.3 meters.
Source : Panam Sports
