Guatemala will compete with a delegation of 480 athletes, including three Olympic medalists, in the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games, which will be held from July 24 to August 8 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the country’s sports authorities reported this Tuesday.
According to the Guatemalan Olympic Committee (COG), the delegation is made up of 213 women and 267 men, who will compete in 38 of the 40 sports included in the regional competitions. The delegation is the largest in history with which Guatemala will participate in these games, held for the first time in 1926 in Mexico with the participation of the hosts, Guatemala and Cuba.
According to COG data, the The largest Guatemalan delegations until now had been those of Mayagüez 2010, with 416 athletes, and Barranquilla 2018, made up of 428 athletes.. According to the COG, among the members of the delegation, the only three athletes who have won Olympic medals for Guatemala stand out, who will lead the country’s aspirations in these games.
This is Erick Barrondo, who made history in the London 2012 Olympic Games by becoming the first Guatemalan athlete to win an Olympic medal, obtaining silver in the 20 kilometer walk.
Also included is the shooter Adriana Ruano, who in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games won the first gold medal for Guatemala, by winning the women’s pit event.
Another Olympic medalist who will be in Santo Domingo is Jean Pierre Brol, winner of the bronze medal in men’s pit at Paris 2024. Together with Barrondo and Ruano he is part of the group of three Guatemalan Olympic medalists who will compete in the Central American and Caribbean Games.
In addition, there will be Kevin Cordón, who will arrive in the Dominican Republic as the Guatemalan with the most gold medals (8) in badminton in the history of these games. The delegation will also have emerging figures, such as the standard bearers Alejandra Higueros, in taekwondo, number one in the world ranking, and Erick Gordillo, in swimming, triple gold medalist in the edition held in San Salvador 2023.
The XXV Central American Games and the Caribbean will be held from July 24 to August 8 with the participation of more than 6,000 athletes from 37 countries, who will seek places for the Lima 2027 Pan American Games.