Cuban female athletes won five gold medals this Saturday at the 25th Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026, thanks to the victories of Milaimys Marín, Laura Herin, Yainelys Sanz, and Greili Bescosme in women's freestyle wrestling, and Marlies Mejías in the road cycling event.
The women's wrestling delivered a flawless performance in the finals, securing titles in the 50, 53, 57, and 76-kilogram divisions.
The performance allowed this discipline to contribute four gold medals and one bronze medal to the Cuban delegation.
Milaimys Marín, Olympic and world bronze medalist, concluded the competition with a 7-0 victory over the Venezuelan María Acosta in the final for the 76 kilograms category. With this result, the Cuban athlete improved her performance from the San Salvador 2023 Games.
In the 53 kilograms category, Laura Herin defeated the Venezuelan Alexa Álvarez with a score of 6-3, securing her second consecutive title at the Central American and Caribbean Games. After a closely contested first round, which ended 4-3, the Cuban extended her lead during the second round to ensure victory.
Herin thus became the only Cuban fighter to defend the title won in San Salvador 2023. The athlete dedicated the result to her coach, her teammates, her family, her partner, and the Cuban people.
Yainelys Sanz won the 57-kilogram title after a closely contested match against the Mexican Bertha Rojas. The Cuban had to come back from a 0-3 deficit and managed to secure victory in the final seconds of the bout.
For her part, Greili Bescosme won gold in the 50-kilogram division by defeating the Mexican Mercedes Castillo, who had previously defeated her at this year's Pan American Championship.
Bescosme dominated 1-0 in the first period and took advantage of a penalty for passivity imposed on their opponent in the second quarter.
The Cuban executed a four-point projection and continued the action until she achieved the hit that ended the fight. After her victory, she stated that winning the Central American title was a dream.
The four champions began the day with dominant performances. Marín defeated the Panamanian Chaneth Simmonds by superiority; Herin won 10-0 against the Colombian Chusmy Chaparro; Bescosme advanced due to the no-show of the Puerto Rican Mayangelie Colón; and Sanz triumphed 11-0 over the Panamanian Jeanice Mejía.
The fifth gold medal for women of the day came from cyclist Marlies Mejías, who won the road race after defeating a group of 16 breakaway runners in the final sprint.
The Trinidadian Teniel Campbell finished behind the Cuban, followed by the Mexican world champion Yareli Acevedo.
The competition took place over a distance of 123.28 kilometers, spread across eight laps of a 13.5-kilometer circuit located near the Malecón in Santo Domingo.
Mejías explained that she made a breakaway with six laps to go and tried to stay calm until the final turns. The cyclist experienced cramps during the race, but managed to maintain her position and complete the decisive sprint.
The victory had a special significance for the 34-year-old athlete, as her husband and daughter are Dominican. Mejías dedicated the result not only to Cuba and the Dominican Republic but also to her family and the Cuban people.
With this victory, the athlete from Artemisa secured her tenth gold medal in the Central American and Caribbean Games.
The cyclist stated that among her upcoming goals are to qualify for the World Championship, earn points to secure a spot in the Olympic Games, and later compete in the Pan American Games.
The five crowns won by the Cuban athletes were achieved during the eighth day of Santo Domingo 2026, held on August 1st, a date on which the Island's delegation also achieved noteworthy results in other sports.
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