Espinosa took top honours with Australia’s Steven Currie in second and Costa Rica’s Andres Fontana in third.

The Americans also claimed silver medals in the K44 under 75kg and K44 over 75kg through Felix Sabates and Corbin Stacey respectively.

Sabates was sandwiched between winner Andres Molina of Costa Rica and bronze medallists Anouar Gaouzi of France and Angel de Jesus Buitian Santiago of Mexico.

Mexico’s Francisco Pedroza finished ahead of Stacey, who was followed onto the podium by compatriot Evan Medell.

There were also gold medals for Argentina’s Facundo Andres Novik in the K44 under 61kg and France’s Bopha Kong in the K43 under 61kg.

Andres Novik beat Costa Rica’s Edvin Pizarro to first place with Mexico’s Diego Ivan Capultitla in third.

Guatemala’s Gersson Mejia was Kong’s closest challenger, while Canada’s Anthony Capello and Venezuela’s Orlando Figueroa shared third spot.

Brazil’s Lucas Almeida was the only athlete in the K42 under 61kg class.

Mexico headed the women’s team standings courtesy of wins for Angelica Vargas Ramirez and Claudia Romero in the sole-competitor K44 under 58kg and K44 under 49kg categories respectively.

France’s Laura Schiel was the only athlete in the K44 over 58kg class.

The Championships were the first competition this year to include classes for intellectually disabled (P20) athletes.

Honduras’ Guillermo Erazo won gold in the men’s P20, condemning the US’s Eric Wright to the runners-up spot with Mexico’s Alejandro Gutierrez and Chile’s Daniel Salinas third.

Colombia’s Jhomary Rojas defeated Chile’s Paloma Martinez in a two-way battle for the women’s P20 title.  

Mexico’s Cesar Gonzalez was the only athlete in the men’s P31.