Dominican Republic improved in sports offering the most medals

Dominican Republic officials will review the nation's performance at the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games, with reasons to celebrate investment in some sports and reconsider others. The country's athletes secured a record 150 medals across 29 of the 40 sports featured in the games.

Eleven sports, including swimming, offered 62% of the total 1,579 medals awarded. While the Dominican Republic achieved success in most disciplines, cycling was the sole sport where its representatives did not win any medals. This lack of success in cycling has already led to internal disputes within the sport's federation.

The Dominican Republic's performance, while strong, fell short of Venezuela's, which medaled in 38 sports. However, the host nation's athletes secured victories in athletics, karate, boxing, softball, e-Sports, and basketball. Swimming, historically a weaker sport, saw a significant improvement with a record seven medals from its renovated facilities, a result viewed optimistically by sponsors and the Dominican Olympic Committee (COD).

Weightlifting, judo, karate, taekwondo, wrestling, and boxing also maintained their historical strong performances, contributing significantly to the overall medal count. The nation's success was bolstered by its status as host and its largest-ever delegation, supported by unprecedented investment in athlete preparation. Sports like roller skating, which previously lacked training facilities, now have new tracks, presenting opportunities for future development, especially with Santo Domingo hosting the 2026 games.

However, sports such as fencing, archery, squash, and equestrian events, which have yielded medals in past editions, saw no Dominican representation on the podium. Caracas has proposed hosting the 2030 games, with Honduras also expressing interest.