Cuba reaffirmed its third place in the medal standings of the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026 thanks to a historic day in women's wrestling, where four athletes from the island climbed to the top of the podium in just one afternoon of competition.
Greili Bencosme (50 kg), Laura Herin (53 kg), Yainelys Sanz (57 kg), and Milaimys Marín (76 kg) claimed gold in their respective categories, making Cuba the only nation able to win more than one title in this event during the day.
The results of the final fights were decisive: Marín crushed the Venezuelan María Acosta 7-0 in the 76 kg category; Herin defeated the Venezuelan Alexa Álvarez 6-3 in the 53 kg category; Sanz came back against the Mexican Bertha Rojas to take the title in the 57 kg category; and Bencosme triumphed over the Mexican Mercedes Castillo in the final of the 50 kg category.
With these four gold medals, the Cuban delegation has accumulated 24 golds, 20 silvers, and 31 bronzes, for a total of 75 medals, remaining behind Mexico — the leader with 110 golds, 74 silvers, and 58 bronzes — and Colombia, in second place with 53 golds, 64 silvers, and 41 bronzes.
Venezuela, fourth in the medal table with 19 golds, watches as Cuba increases the gap that separates it from the podium.
The performance this Sunday adds to that of Saturday, when Cuba also shone in men's wrestling with the golds won by Geannis Garzón in 74 kg — who won all his matches without conceding a single point, including a 10-0 victory in the final against Venezuelan Ibsen Aguilar — and Arturo Silot in 97 kg, along with three additional bronzes.
The collective performance of the Cuban wrestlers is no coincidence: wrestling is one of the historically most productive disciplines for the island in these regional events.
Milaimys Marín, one of the highlights this Sunday, had already demonstrated her prowess on the most demanding stage by winning the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
According to Cubadebate, Laura Herin's gold medal in the 53 kg category represented the 1,950th medal in the history of Cuba at the Central American and Caribbean Games, a fact that illustrates the magnitude of the island's sports legacy in this regional tournament.
Cuba arrives in Santo Domingo 2026 as the nation with the most gold medals accumulated in the history of the Central American and Caribbean Games, with 1,919 gold titles before the event starts, just 81 away from becoming the first delegation to reach 2,000 historic golds in the competition.
With several disciplines yet to conclude, the Cuban delegation will aim to continue increasing its gold medal tally to defend its third place in the medal standings and come closer to the goal set for these games.
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