Water polo defends gold as Puerto Rico earns five medals at Santo Domingo 2026
Puerto Rico's men's water polo team defeated Colombia 16-12 in the final of the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, successfully defending the title won in San Salvador 2023. With that first gold medal, the Puerto Rican delegation closes its opening days of competition with five medals total --one gold, one silver, and three bronze-- thanks to standout performances in judo and taekwondo poomsae 12.
The team completed the tournament undefeated at 6-0, scoring 120 goals while allowing just 41. The victory was direct payback against Colombia, which had beaten Puerto Rico in the qualifying tournament final months earlier, snapping a four-game losing streak against the Colombians dating back to the Mayagüez 2010 Games. According to sports historian Carlos Uriarte González, the men's team improved its Central American medal record to 11 total: two gold, three silver, and six bronze 1.
The triumph also secured Puerto Rico's berth at the 2027 Lima Pan American Games, a long-term competitive goal that adds even greater weight to the gold.
Judo silver: Echevarría fights to the final whistle
Judoka Francine Echevarría, 26, from Maunabo, delivered Puerto Rico's first silver medal in Santo Domingo by reaching the -52 kilogram final. On her path she eliminated Guatemala's Lourdes Martínez in the quarterfinals and Venezuela's Leomaris Ruiz in the semifinals. In the gold medal match she fell to Cuba's Dalí Sentmanat by yuko at 4:26 of Golden Score (overtime) 3.
Echevarría, who currently trains in Spain, improved on the bronze she earned at San Salvador 2023. "Even though you see me crying, I'm very happy with the silver. It represents a lot of effort and preparation," the athlete said after the match 3.
Triple bronze in taekwondo poomsae
Taekwondo poomsae marked Puerto Rico's competitive debut at these Games and produced the delegation's first three medals, all bronze. Arelis Medina earned the first Puerto Rican medal of Santo Domingo 2026 in women's individual poomsae with a score of 7.940. Minutes later, Luis Gabriel Colón, 28, from Arecibo, added bronze in men's individual poomsae with 8.160 points 45.
Both athletes returned for the mixed pair freestyle poomsae event, where they secured a third bronze with 8.280 points, behind Mexico (8.68, gold) and Guatemala (8.40, silver) 5.
Colón, who holds three Pan American medals but had no previous Central American hardware, valued the moment: "We came looking for medals... obviously we always come with first place in mind, but everyone knew the competition would be tight." Medina, emotional about earning her fifth Central American Games medal, added: "I've given my life to this sport. I love representing Puerto Rico" 5.
Other notable results
Beyond the medal count, the Puerto Rican delegation showed progress on multiple fronts. In beach volleyball, the pairs González-Navas and Rivera-Figueroa dominated their openers with scores of 21-6, 21-6 against Martinique and 21-10, 21-4 over Honduras, respectively. The men's indoor volleyball team defeated Cuba 3-1. In tennis, Yannik Álvarez advanced to the quarterfinals with a double 6-0, while Mesarovik and Pérez won in mixed doubles 6-2, 6-3. Golfer María Fernanda Torres Martínez led the women's standings with 70 strokes, and women's 5x5 basketball opened with a 63-35 victory 26.
What this means for you
Five medals in the opening days mark Puerto Rico's strongest start at a Central American Games in recent memory. The water polo gold not only reaffirms regional dominance but opens the Pan American door to Lima 2027.
How to follow / Checklist
- Follow live results through the official Santo Domingo 2026 website and @ComiteOlimpicoPR.
- Look for competition streams on the Games' official streaming platform.
- Share Puerto Rican athletes' achievements on social media.
- Support local sports by attending water polo, judo, and taekwondo federation events.
- Check the schedule for upcoming finals where Puerto Rico has medal chances.
What comes next
The women's water polo team faces Cuba in the bronze medal match. Taekwondo shifts to combat (kyorugi), where Edgardo Nazario has advanced to the semifinals. Yannik Álvarez pursues a tennis medal, and beach volleyball pairs look to advance. With five medals secured and multiple athletes still competing, the delegation aims to surpass its San Salvador 2023 haul.
Sources 1 El Nuevo Día 2 Metro PR 3 El Nuevo Día 4 Metro PR 5 El Nuevo Día 6 Primera Hora
Sources
Reported by the CoquiList Newsroom · Facts backed by the sources cited above
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