Golds, Record, and Surprise in Athletics at Santo Domingo

From the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium in the Dominican capital, Cuban track and field athletes once again shone with standout performances, headlined by gold medals from flag bearer Leyanis Pérez and Anisleydis Ochoa in triple jump and 5,000 meters, respectively. Liadagmis Povea (triple jump) and Juan C. Vázquez (shot put) secured silver medals, while Yaritza Martínez (hammer throw), Yarima García (100 meters), and the long relay team added three bronzes to the day's tally.

In the mixed zone, Leyanis, the 2025 world champion, expressed her delight with the new title, though she remained unsatisfied with her mark of 14.78 meters. "The competition became very slow; they kept stopping it constantly, and both I and the other competitors lost some motivation in the final attempts," she said.

The athlete from Pinar del Río also confessed to the Cuban News Agency that the intense heat at the venue affected her performance—conditions that she described as even more punishing than in Cuba during this time of year. "It was very difficult to go for a good mark, so I consulted with my coach and we agreed to just finish the event without putting in too much effort," she explained.

Another standout performance of the evening came from Yarima García, who revealed that she had not expected to win a Central American medal in this edition of the Games. "I have been through a lot—injuries, lack of training, among other issues. I don't like to make excuses, but until recently I was still receiving injections in my knee. I am happily surprised with this result," she stated.

When asked about her teammate Yunisleydis García, Cuba's top figure in the event, she said she did not know what happened that evening to cause her early elimination. "I just hope she is in good health," she concluded.

Also making headlines for the island in the Monday evening session were Yohandris Brients, Camila Rodríguez, Yoandys Lescay, and Roxana Gómez, members of the long relay team (4x400 meters), who posted a time of 3:13.32 minutes—the best historical mark for Cuba in that discipline.