Leonel Eugenio Rivas Flores wrote an important page for Guatemalan athletics this weekend. The 18-year-old young man from Livingston, Izabal, established a new U20 national record in the javelin throw with a mark of 61.55 meters during the Managua Central American Athletics Championships 2026, surpassing a record that had not been broken since 2001 and winning the gold medal in the regional competition held in Nicaragua.
Rivas did not hide his emotion after the achievement and acknowledged that the objective was always clear. “The goal with my coach was to break records and improve times, and thank God it was achieved”said the young athlete from Izabal, who also revealed that he was close to breaking the Central American record in the same competition. “I was also about to break the Central American record, by 15 centimeters, I hope to be able to do it soon,” added Rivas, making it clear that his ambition goes beyond the national record and that he has his sights set on continuing to improve his mark in upcoming competitions.
Rivas’s achievement was one of the most notable of a historic day for Guatemalan athletics in Managua. Guatemala had an outstanding participation in the Central American U18 and U20 Championships with a large harvest of medals that allowed the country to consolidate itself as a regional power in athletics of youth categories, with several athletes reaching the podium in different disciplines throughout the competition.
Guatemala shines in the Central American Championship
U20 category:
- Gold- José Sebastián Albizu — Men’s shot put (championship record — 16.99 m)
- Gold- Jeimy González — women’s 3,000 meters (11:51.45)
- Gold- Daniel Aguilar — men’s 3,000 meters (8:54.21)
- Silver- Cristian Colop — men’s 3,000 meters (8:59.83)
- Gold- Karol Álvarez — women’s 800 meters (2:26.04)
- Silver- Adrián Averhoff — men’s 800 meters (1:55.56)
- Gold- Hannah Meneses — women’s 400 meters hurdles (1:06.80)
- Gold- Santiago Orellana — Men’s long jump (6.63 m)
- Silver- Santiago Piedrasanta — Men’s long jump (6.47 m)
- Bronze- Leonel Rivas — Men’s shot put
U18 Category:
- Gold- Linda Suruy — Women’s shot put (11.50 m)
- Gold- Caleb Meneses — men’s 100 meters
- Bronze- Valeria Villavicencio — women’s 100 meters (12.24)
- Bronze-Danny Sicajau — Men’s shot put (13.42 m)
The outstanding performance of the Guatemalan team in Managua confirms the growth of Chapín athletics at the regional level and predicts great results for the Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026, where these young athletes will seek to continue proudly representing Guatemala on the most important sporting stage in the region.