More than 140 players coming from 20 nations across the Americas traveled to Asunción, Paraguay, in August for the 2026 Pan American Squash Championships. Players faced off in individual, team and doubles competitions, all aiming for not just a PanAm podium spot but also a shot at the LA 2028 Olympic Games. 

The results from the tournament determined the countries to qualify for the 2027 Pan American Games (July 23 to August 8 in Lima, Peru), which is the first chance for Pan American athletes to earn a place at the LA 2028 Olympic Games.

The Colombian Squash Team finished the week as the overall champion across six different events. In total, 10 women’s teams and 11 men’s teams qualified for next summer’s tournament, with Team USA dominating the Women’s Team and Individual events.

“This was the first step in Team USA’s road to the LA28 Olympic Games and the experience will help set the team up well to compete at their highest potential at the 2027 Pan Am Games next summer,” said Nick Taylor, Team USA National Team coach, in an interview with U.S. Squash.

“This was the first step in Team USA’s road to the LA28 Olympic Games and the experience will help set the team up well to compete at their highest potential at the 2027 Pan Am Games next summer. ”

USA Squash National Team coach Nick Taylor

Here are four women’s squash players to watch as the countdown to LA28 begins:

1. Lucía Bautista Sarmiento (Colombia)

Lucía Bautista defied all odds for Colombia during the PanAm Championships. Bautista, who went into the Women’s Individual draw as the 5/8 seed, beat Canada’s Nicole Bunyan (3/4 seed) in a 42-minute, four-game match to reach her third Pan American semifinal. Bautista went on to bow out of the main draw to the silver medalist, Marina Stefanoni, in a four-game semifinal match.

The 23-year-old Colombian, who holds her highest world ranking (HWR) of 73 on the Professional Squash circuit, finished the week with a bronze medal in the Individual and Women’s Team events and a first place finish in the Mixed Doubles draw. Bautista helped Colombia achieve its overall first place finish at this year’s Pan American Championships.

2. Hollie Naughton (Canada)

Canada’s top player, Hollie Naughton, also had an impressive run at the PanAm Championships. Naughton (HWR #16), a seasoned player on the Professional Squash (PSA) circuit tour, added to her trophy case, earning a bronze medal in the Women’s Individual event. Like Bautista, she was knocked out of the main draw in the semifinal round, losing in a 27-minute match to eventual champion Amanda Sobhy.

Naughton also led the Canadian Team to a second place finish in the Women’s Team event. Canada fell to the dominant U.S. Team in the final.

3. Marina Stefanoni (USA)

Team USA’s Marina Stefanoni (HWR #14), 23, is another name to know as LA28 approaches. A decorated Harvard squash graduate, the No. 2 seed of the draw had a relatively smooth journey to the finals, where she met her teammate in an all-American showdown. Though she fell to Sobhy, Stefanoni achieved her best finish in the Individual draw of the PanAm Championships.

Not only did she help claim a gold medal in the Women’s Team Event and a silver medal in the Mixed Doubles event, Stefanoni also won the 2026 Fair Play Award, highlighting her class on and off the court.

4. Amanda Sobhy (USA)

Amanda “Southpaw” Sobhy, a veteran of the PSA circuit and Team USA Squash, claimed her third Pan American individual title in Paraguay. The left-hander claimed the gold medal in a 39-minute battle against Stefanoni. Sobhy also helped lead her team to a first-place finish in the Women’s Team event with a decisive win over Naughton in three straight games. 

Sobhy (HWR #3)  is known not only for her fierce competitiveness on court but for her resilience after two Achilles ruptures just seven years apart. 

In an interview with World Squash, Sobhy discussed her dreams of competing for any Olympic medal.

“To be able to compete in the Olympics, to be able to compete for [an] Olympic gold medal, and to be able to say you were an Olympian, that is something that no one can ever take away from you,” Sobhy said.

As the professional squash season begins in the upcoming weeks and the athletes gear up for next summer’s Olympic qualifier, be sure to keep an eye out for these four.