Triple jump star Yulimar Rojas in action in San Salvador (© AFP / Getty Images)
Olympic champions Yulimar Rojas and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, and world and Olympic silver medallist Marileidy Paulino, produced the standout performances at the Central American and Caribbean Games at San Salvador’s Jorge ‘Magico’ Gonzalez stadium, where 15 records were equalled or broken between 2-8 July.
In her return to the regional competition after missing the previous edition four years ago, Venezuela’s Rojas opened her series with a leap of 15.16m in the women’s triple jump, better than the 14.92m Games record set by Colombia’s Caterine Ibarguen in Barranquilla in 2018.
Three-time world champion Rojas added another 15 metre leap in the fifth round and held off the challenge from Cuba’s Leyanis Perez, who surpassed 14.75m five times, with her series including two personal bests of 14.94m and 14.98m. Her compatriot Liadagmis Povea clinched bronze with a solid 14.85m. Both Cubans produced better performances than the best jumps for silver and bronze at the 2022 World Championships.
Making her Games debut, Puerto Rico’s Camacho-Quinn was a class apart in the 100m hurdles, lowering the 12-year-old Games record to 12.60 in the semifinals, en route to her gold medal-winning time of 12.61 a day later.
Dominican Republic’s Paulino was the busiest among the three. She helped her world title-winning team to mixed 4x400m gold, before erasing one of the oldest Games records in the women’s 400m with a 49.95 performance. The previous record of 50.56 set by Cuba’s Aurelia Penton stood for 35 years. The men’s record, set by Cuba’s Alberto Juantorena also in Medellin in 1978, still stands.
A day later, Paulino anchored her women’s 4x400m squad to silver and a national record of 3:27.84, with Cuba winning in 3:26.08 and both teams beating the previous Games record set five years ago.
Paulino rose to the athletics spotlight at these Games five years ago as a 100m and 200m specialist. She broke the 23-second barrier in the longer distance and finished fourth in both events, before moving up to 400m – the distance in which she has enjoyed much international success – two years later.
Marileidy Paulino races in San Salvador (© AFP / Getty Images)
But the most successful athlete throughout six days of athletics in San Salvador was Venezuela’s Joselyn Brea. The new South American 5000m record-holder first took the half marathon in 1:15:04, the distance being contested for the first time in the history of the Games. A day later, she won her marquee event over 12 and a half laps in 15:10.60, almost a minute faster than the previous standard.
After a two-day break, Brea returned to the track and set a third Games record of the week, in the 1500m, with 4:10.39 – four seconds faster than the previous standard.
Other notable performances came in the field, with world indoor champion Lazaro Martinez of Cuba jumping 17.51m in the men’s triple jump and Colombia’s world U20 silver medallist Natalia Linares leaping 6.86m in the women’s long jump to both set Games records, while 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott retained his javelin crown with a throw of 83.60m.
The Trinidadian was one of five athletes who successfully defended their titles from five years ago in Barranquilla. The list also includes Rosemary Almanza, who achieved her third consecutive 800m crown and added the 4x400m gold. She also boasts 1500m gold from 2018.
The other successful title defenders were Mexico’s Fernando Daniel Martinez in the 1500m, Barbados’ Shane Brathwaite in the 110m hurdles and Venezuela’s Rosa Rodriguez in the hammer with a Games record of 71.62m.
Colombia’s 2016 Olympic finalist Flor Ruiz regained her javelin title from 2014 after missing the 2018 edition, while Venezuela’s Robeilys Peinado upgraded her 2018 silver to gold in the pole vault thanks to a 4.60m clearance.
Trinidad and Tobago’s world indoor champion Jereem Richards set a personal best of 44.54 for gold in the 400m, while double NCAA champion Julien Alfred equalled the 25-year old 100m record with 11.14 to claim the top spot on the podium for Saint Lucia. Dominican Republic’s world finalist Alexander Ogando dominated the 200m in 19.99 and claimed mixed relay gold.
Two countries celebrated their first athletics gold medals in the history of the Games. Handal Roban won the 800m in 1:45.93 for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, while Pablo Ibanez delighted the home crowd with his victory in the 400m hurdles in 49.34. The 24-year old, who broke the 50-second barrier for the first time in his career at these Games five years ago, was joined by his younger siblings Esteban and Samuel in the 4x400m relay on the final day of competition.
A special moment came on the opening day of athletics, when Juan Luis Barrios lined up in the men’s half marathon for his sixth consecutive Games. The 40-year-old Mexican added the bronze medal (1:05:13) to an illustrious collection that includes seven titles across three distances (1500m, 5000m and 10000m) since his Games debut at the same venue in San Salvador in 2002. The race was won by Guatemala's Alberto Gonzalez Mindez in 1:03:50.
Cuba topped the medal tally with 28 medals (9 gold, 11 silver and 8 bronze), closely followed by Mexico (7-11-5), Puerto Rico (6-2-4), Venezuela (6-0-2) and the Dominican Republic (5-3-6).
A total of 14 countries won at least a gold medal, including Jamaica thanks to Yanique Tishana Dayle, the country’s sole title winner, in the women’s 200m. While 24 nations won at least a medal.
The 25th and centennial edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games – the world’s oldest regional multisport Games – will be held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in 2026.
Javier Clavelo Robinson for World Athletics
