The 2026 South American Youth Games in Panama have a star who is dominating the headlines—the swimmer who won nine gold medals, along with six individual records and three team records. We’re talking about Agostina Hein, a swimmer who will turn 18 in a few days. In an exclusive interview with SportsIn, she spoke about her performance at these Games and how she has managed the day-to-day of a young career that, since her teenage years, has shown signs of a promising future through her strokes in various disciplines.

These Games represented multiple goals, but it all boiled down to the fact that they were the perfect stage to reaffirm that “La Vikinga” is ready for the next step. “The truth is that Panama left a very beautiful impression on me. Enjoyment was, I think, what led us to these results. I feel very happy and am already thinking about the future,” says Hein after finishing her last competition, the 4×100 mixed medley relay—the only event in which she didn’t win gold.

Her daily focus, self-discipline, and stress management

Each event, regardless of the success achieved in the previous one, was a fresh start for Hein, who did not overestimate her ability—especially given the pressure of what these games represent. “I think I get more tense because of my expectations. I understand that swimming is a sport that can surprise you: a swimmer might clock a certain time today and not be able to beat it tomorrow. So, I wasn’t overconfident in any of the events themselves, in terms of the atmosphere, but I always tried to give my best to improve day by day and not think about whether my rivals would beat me by a certain margin, because it’s a sport where you grow a lot. All my rivals definitely made me better, just like my teammates.”

The sporting rivalry between Argentina and Brazil is a central feature of any sporting competition. Beyond the tension, in swimming there is mutual admiration between the two nations. “Historically, we’ve been competing against Brazil, but the guys are very good, very respectful. That makes the rivalry feel a bit like friendship, doesn’t it?” says the athlete born in Campana, Buenos Aires.

Moral support from another swimmer

Agostina, like other young athletes, has had the chance to experience the Olympics early on. By achieving the A standard at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, she earned the right to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she was the youngest athlete on the Argentine delegation at just 16 years old.

Before Hein, there was Delfina Pignatiello, who shone at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, winning three gold medals, and in youth categories, her memorable silver medals at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, in addition to currently holding absolute national records. Today, she is one of the former athletes who has accompanied Agostina on her journey. “Delfi is a role model for me. In fact, when I finished the 800, she texted me. And well, that means we’re doing things right,” Hein acknowledges. “There’s an impressive generation of young Argentines who are giving it their all. And that makes me very happy because it means we’re growing, and swimming is growing with us,” she adds.

Harry Potter on her nightstand

La Vikinga is also preparing professionally outside the pool with well-defined goals. “Right now, I’m studying human resources at a university in Argentina. I was lucky to finish high school thanks to the Military Academy. I think personally I want to keep growing as a person and intellectually.”

She loves reading, especially the Harry Potter books, which also helps her a lot in finding the balance needed in a demanding daily routine. “I’m dedicating quite a bit of time to reading. I think it’s also very important to shift some of the focus away from swimming. Every time I came back from the heats, I tried to read to clear my mind a little. My goal is to keep growing, keep expanding my vocabulary, and keep becoming a better person.”

Hein won gold and set records in the 100- and 200-meter butterfly; 200-, 400-, and 800-meter freestyle; 200-meter individual medley; as well as in the team events: the women’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay, women’s 4×100-meter medley relay, and mixed 4×100-meter freestyle relay.