Harvey takes bronze after narrow semi-final loss at South American Youth Games

Guyana secured its first medal of the 2026 South American Youth Games in Panama City, with Ken Harvey earning a bronze medal on Friday in the 60kg division after losing a close semi-final bout on points to Brazil’s Maicon Dos Santos.
Harvey, fighting out of the red corner, lost 3-2 on a split decision following a competitive three-round contest. Judges Latasha Washington (USA) and David Chaplin (USA) scored the bout 29-28 in favour of Dos Santos, while Roderico García (Guyana) returned a 30-27 score for the Brazilian. In contrast, Maria Del Pilar Morales (Mexico) scored the fight 30-27 for Harvey, and María Coto (Costa Rica) had it 29-28 in his favour. The bout was officiated by referee Jennifer Huggins (Canada).

The round-by-round scoring reflected how close the fight was, with Harvey and Dos Santos both enjoying periods of dominance. In the first round, two judges scored it 10-9 for Harvey, while three favoured Dos Santos. The Brazilian was ahead on three cards in the second round, and the third round again saw mixed scoring across the five judges.
By reaching the semi-final, Harvey secured a bronze medal, marking Guyana’s first podium finish at this year’s Games.
Harvey had advanced to the medal round with a quarter-final win over Paraguay’s Edgar Miranda. Fighting out of the blue corner, he controlled the bout from the start, landing repeated punches to the head and body of Miranda.
The referee issued two standing counts in the first round and another early in the second. The contest was stopped 24 seconds into the second round, with Harvey winning by referee stoppage (RSC).