Llegó en séptimo lugar.

Llegó is the 3rd person singular preterite of llegar.

That means it refers to a completed action in the past and can mean:

• he arrived
• she arrived
• it arrived
• you arrived (formal singular, depending on context)

In a competition context, Spanish often uses llegar to talk about how someone finished.

Spanish often omits subject pronouns when the verb already shows the person and number.

So llegó already tells you the subject is 3rd person singular, and context tells you who it is.

This is very normal in Spanish:

• Llegó tarde.
• Ganó la carrera.
• Terminó primero.

You would only add él, ella, or usted if you wanted emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

Because Spanish commonly uses en + position/rank to show where someone finished in an order or ranking.

Very common patterns are:

• en primer lugar
• en segundo puesto
• en tercera posición
• en séptimo lugar

So en here works like in in English expressions such as in seventh place.

Because a ranking position uses an ordinal number, not a cardinal number.

• siete = the number seven
• séptimo = seventh

So for placement, Spanish uses the ordinal:

• primer lugar
• quinto puesto
• séptima posición

Using siete lugar would be incorrect.

In modern Spanish, ordinal numbers usually come before the noun when they directly modify it.

So the normal order is:

• séptimo lugar
• tercer puesto
• segunda posición

Lugar séptimo would sound unusual or very formal/literary in most everyday contexts.

Because séptimo agrees with lugar, and lugar is a masculine noun.

So:

• séptimo lugar
• séptima posición

The ending changes to match the noun, not necessarily the person who finished.

For example:

• Ana llegó en séptimo lugar.
  Even if Ana is female, it is still séptimo because lugar is masculine.

But if you use a feminine noun:

• Ana llegó en séptima posición.

In this kind of ranking expression, Spanish normally says:

• en primer lugar
• en segundo lugar
• en séptimo lugar

So the article is usually omitted.

If you say en el séptimo lugar, it can sound less idiomatic for a competition result, or it may suggest a more specific, identified slot in a list or arrangement rather than the usual fixed expression for ranking.

Yes. Spanish has several natural ways to express this idea.

Common options include:

• Llegó en séptimo lugar.
• Llegó séptimo.
• Quedó en séptimo lugar.
• Quedó séptimo.

There can be small differences in feel:

• llegó focuses more on the finishing/arrival
• quedó focuses more on the final result or placement

All are very common in sports and competitions.

The accent mark shows the stress: lle-GÓ.

It also distinguishes it from llego, which is a different form:

• llego = I arrive / I am arriving
• llegó = he/she/it arrived

So the accent is not optional; it changes the form and meaning.

Because séptimo is stressed on the first syllable: SÉP-ti-mo.

Words like this, with the stress on the third-to-last syllable, are called esdrújulas, and in Spanish they always have a written accent.

So:

• séptimo
• pájaro
• música

all must carry an accent mark.

A good approximation is:

ye-GÓ en SÉP-ti-mo lu-GAR

A few notes:

• llegó: in most of Spain, ll sounds like the y in yes
• the stress is on -gó
• séptimo is stressed on sép-
• lugar is stressed on the last syllable: lu-GAR

A more phonetic guide for many Spain speakers would be: ye-GÓ en SÉP-ti-mo lu-GAR

No. Other common nouns for ranking are:

• lugar
• puesto
• posición

For example:

• Llegó en séptimo lugar.
• Llegó en séptimo puesto.
• Llegó en séptima posición.

They are all correct. Lugar and puesto are especially common in everyday use.