Dominican Republic regains gold medal in mixed relay after appeal at Central American Games

The Dominican Republic's athletics team has reclaimed the gold medal in the mixed 4x100m relay at the Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, securing the nation's fifth position in the overall medal standings. The victory came after Centro Caribe Sports' technical committee accepted an appeal, reinstating the gold medal that had been controversially stripped following the race on Tuesday.

The Dominican quartet, composed of Fiordaliza Cofil, Mayovanex de Oleo, José González, and Liranyi Alonso, was initially disqualified. Officials cited alleged obstruction during the first baton exchange and a lane violation in the final leg as reasons for the disqualification, which provisionally awarded the gold to Jamaica. However, a thorough review of the race footage led the technical committee to revoke the disqualification, validating the Dominican team's winning time of 40.89 seconds.

This reversal means Jamaica now receives the silver medal, and Puerto Rico takes the bronze. In a separate event on Wednesday, Dominican sprinter Marileidy Paulino continued her dominance in the 400m, capturing the gold medal with a Games record time of 48.94 seconds. This victory reaffirms her status as a top athlete, adding to her Olympic and World Championship titles.

Meanwhile, Mexico's team, also disqualified from the Tuesday relay, did not have its decision overturned. The reasons for Mexico's sanction were not publicly disclosed, but the technical committee upheld the ruling, unlike in the Dominican Republic's case. Paulino's performance was a highlight, with Cuba's Roxana Gómez taking silver and Shaquifa Maloney of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines earning bronze.