The Cuban Marlies Mejías achieved a historic performance this Saturday at the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026 by winning gold in the women's road race, her second title in this edition of the Games and the tenth of her career in this type of competition.
The Cuban cyclist crossed the finish line alongside Teniel Campbell (Trinidad and Tobago) and Yareli Acevedo (Mexico), all three with the same time of 3:10:32 and an average speed of 38.8 km/h.
The victory was decided in the sprint, with Mejías showcasing his strength in the final stretch.
This gold arrived a week after Mejías gave Cuba its first gold in the Games by winning the 30 km individual time trial on July 25, with a time of 40:15.79.
In Santo Domingo 2026, he also won a silver medal in the omnium on the track, rounding out a total of two golds and one silver at the Dominican event.
The cyclist from Güira de Melena, Artemisa, described the strategy she employed during the race: "I tried not to lose my cool. With six laps to go, I attempted to break away, and it worked; the group split. When I looked around, I was with the world champion and a few others, and I thought, well, just don't panic."
Regarding the final moments of the race, he acknowledged that it wasn't easy: "With two laps to go, I tried to attack a bit, to wear my opponent down a little. Then I started to feel some cramping and I said to myself, I can't lose my composure."
The victory also had a special personal significance for Mejías, whose immediate family is Dominican: "My husband and my daughter are from here, both for Cuba and for the Dominican Republic; I hope they enjoy this trick today," she stated after the race.
With his two gold medals in Santo Domingo 2026, Mejías raised the total number of titles for Cuba in cycling at this edition of the Games to 20. His tenth crown in the Central American and Caribbean Games was also the first in the road race after 12 years of competing in this type of event, a record that includes five golds in Veracruz 2014 and three in Barranquilla 2018.
When asked if Santo Domingo 2026 could be her farewell to the Central American Games, the cyclist was adamant: "I don't feel that old." Regarding her sporting future, she set clear goals: "The objective is to get to the Olympic Games. Right now, I'm thinking about the Pan American Games, which come first."
Related videos:
Filed under: