Cuba confirmed its third place in the medal table of the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026 this Sunday, thanks to a historic day in women's wrestling, where four athletes from the island ascended to the top step of the podium in a single afternoon of competition.
Greili Bencosme (50 kg), Laura Herin (53 kg), Yainelys Sanz (57 kg), and Milaimys Marín (76 kg) won gold in their respective categories, making Cuba the only nation able to secure more than one title in the event during the day.
The results of the final matches were decisive: Milaimys Marín crushed Venezuela's María Acosta 7-0 in the 76 kg category; Laura Herin overcame Venezuela's Alexa Álvarez 6-3 in the 53 kg category; Yainelys Sanz came back against Mexico's Bertha Rojas to claim the 57 kg title; and Greili Bencosme defeated Mexico's Mercedes Castillo in the 50 kg final.
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, second with 53 golds, 64 silvers, and 41 bronzes.
Venezuela, fourth in the medal standings with 19 golds, watches as Cuba extends the gap that separates it from the podium.
The performance this Sunday adds to that of Saturday, when Cuba also excelled in men's wrestling with gold medals from Geannis Garzón in the 74 kg category —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 the 97 kg category, along with three additional bronze medals.
The collective performance of the Cuban wrestlers is no coincidence: wrestling has historically been one of the most successful disciplines for the island in these regional events.
Milaimys Marín, one of the stars this Sunday, had already showcased her skills 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 marked the 1,950th medal in the history of Cuba at the Central American and Caribbean Games, a fact that highlights 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 start of the event, just 81 away from becoming the first delegation to reach 2,000 historical golds in the competition.
With several events still to be completed, 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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