Colombia's Rodrigo Contreras Pinzon won the men's individual time trial on the first day of medal action at the 2018 South American Games in Cochabamba ©Cochabamba 2018

Colombian cyclists Rodrigo Contreras Pinzon and Ana Cristina Sanabria Sanchez won the respective men’s and women’s individual time trials on the first day of medal action at the 2018 South American Games in Cochabamba in Bolivia.

Contreras Pinzon triumphed in a time of 50 min 42.73sec with compatriot Walter Alejandro Vargas Alzate second in 52:02.29.

Home favourite Freddy Gonzales Soto rounded out the podium in 52:31.08.

Sanabria Sanchez won her gold medal with a time of 27:54.59, while fellow countrywoman Serika Mitchell Guluma Ortiz took the silver in 28:35.72.

Ecuador’s Miryam Maritza Nuñez Padilla completed the top three in 28:44.52.

Among today’s other gold medallists were Argentina’s Agustin Diaz and Cristian Rosso in the men’s double sculls rowing event.

Diaz and Rosso clocked a time of 7:06.21.

Chile finished second in 7:11.50, while Venezuela came third in 7:19.78.

Antonia Francisca Abraham Schussler of Chile won the women’s single sculls in 8:34.94.

Argentina’s Karina Veronica Wilvers finished second in 8:51.18, while Uruguay’s Sabrina Diaz Gimenez came third in 9:08.81.

Rodrigo Contreras Pinzon proved too strong for the rest of the field ©Getty Images
Rodrigo Contreras Pinzon proved too strong for the rest of the field ©Getty Images

There was also success for Chile in the women’s lightweight single sculls, which was won by Melita Isidora Abraham Schüssler in 8:23.63.

Argentina’s Martina Antonella Melgar finished second in 8:35.22, while Uruguay’s Sabrina Diaz Gimenez came third in 8:39.21.

In the men’s lightweight pair, Chile’s Eber Sebastian Sanhueza and Felipe Andres Cárdenas topped the podium with a time of 6:53.02.

Argentina finished second in 6:54.19, while Brazil came third in 7:03.29.

Elsewhere, Colombia achieved a one-two finish in the women’s 300 metres inline skating competition.

Andrea Estefania Cañon Batista secured the gold medal in 25.847, beating Yesenia Escobar Ramirez by 0.264 seconds.

Chile’s Javiera Vargas Espinoza claimed the bronze medal in 26.413.

Action in Cochabamba is due to continue tomorrow.