Cuban 800m runner Daily Cooper (© Getty Images)
Liranyi Alonzo of the Dominican Republic completed a sprint triple crown and Dayli Cooper and Anisleidis Ochoa achieved a double victory for Cuba as Eduardo Herrera did for Mexico on the closing days of the athletics competition at the Central American and Caribbean Games at the Felix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo.
A 100m winner on the opening day of track action with a Games record of 11.10, Alonzo added the 200m gold two days later with 23.07 (-3.4m/s). Her teammate Estrella de Aza had equalled the Games record of 22.69 in the semifinals, but had to settle for fifth in the medal race.
Alonzo completed the triple crown a day later as the third leg runner of the 4x100m squad, who rewrote the Games and national record with 43.00. Patricia Sine, Fiodaliza Cofil and Aza joined her on the team.
Over a week after a similar double at the Pan American Championships, Daily Cooper achieved a similar feat. She first clinched the 1500m gold in 4:07.46, almost three seconds faster than the previous Games record set in 2023.
A day later, the 2024 Olympic and 2025 world semifinalist dominated her main event, 800m, in 1:59.00, equalling the 40-year old Games record set by her fellow Cuban Ana Fidelia Quirot.
Ochoa accomplished a first in the history of the CAC Games, first winning the 5000m and then the 3000m steeplechase in 9:50.88, a Games and national standard. Her silver medal in the 1500m came in a personal best of 4:08.87.
In a season summed up by three Mexican records, distance runner Eduardo Herrera celebrated his first international titles. He ran the 5000m solo and won comfortably by almost 12 seconds in 13:50.86. A day later, he took the 1500m title in 3:46.07.
After a blistering 19.76 in the semifinal, Jose Figueroa of Puerto Rico clinched the 200m title in 19.98 (-2.4m/s). He was the leadoff man in his country’s victory in the 4x400m with 3:00.75, in a close battle with the Dominican Republic (3:00.94).
Franquelo Perez, Yohandris Andujar, 100m bronze medallist Melbin Marcelino and Yancarlos Martinez joined forces to take the 4x100m gold for the Dominican Republic record in 37.98, a national record, ahead of Jamaica (38.08). Puerto Rico (38.12) with Figueroa as the second leg runner, and Colombia (38.17) followed with national records.
Puerto Rico’s Alysbeth Felix, competing in her fifth Games, added the heptathlon gold to her victory in the long jump. Thanks to a 6.62m leap to start the second day, Felix scored a national record of 6136.
Grenada’s two-time world champion and 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Anderson Peters prevailed in a hotly contested javelin with 83.95m. Seventh at the 2023 Games, Costa Rica’s Ivan Jose Sibaja set a national record of 82.15m for silver. Colombia’s Billy Julio (81.02m) took the bronze medal in the final throw as Trinidad and Tobago’s world champion and defending champion Keshorn Walcott settled for fourth with 80.92m.
Cuba’s Lazaro Martinez (triple jump) and world bronze medallist Silinda Morales (discus), Dominican Republic’s 400m champion Marileidy Paulino, her teammate Rosa Ramírez and Mexico’s Uziel Muñoz, both in the shot put, were the only athletes to successfully defend their titles from the 2023 edition.
The host nation dominated the medal tally with 14 gold, five silver and four bronze, ahead of Cuba (10-11-7) and Mexico (10-7-11). Eighteen countries won at least one medal.
The world’s oldest regional multisport event, the CAC Games were inaugurated in 1926 and celebrate their centennial edition in Santo Domingo. The Dominican Republic previously hosted the Games in 1974 and 1986.
Javier Clavelo Robinson for World Athletics
