Gonzalez wins Central American Games gold, boosting Olympic confidence

Alegna González secured the gold medal in the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games' race walk event in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She crossed the finish line with a time of 1:36:05, with teammate Alejandra Ortega completing a one-two finish for Mexico.

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I feel very happy about the medal, that was my goal, in the end it was achieved and I think this year was incredible because in every competition I was in I got gold, so it's a good sign for what we are looking for in the future.

Returning to Mexico, González expressed her satisfaction with the victory, calling it the "gold clasp" to an unforgettable year. She noted that winning gold in every competition this season is a positive sign for her future aspirations. "I feel very happy about the medal, that was my goal, in the end it was achieved and I think this year was incredible because in every competition I was in I got gold, so it's a good sign for what we are looking for in the future," she stated.

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I think this gives you a bit more confidence, achieving what you were looking for, and never getting complacent because every competition is different.

González, who finished fifth in both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics, believes this recent triumph provides a necessary psychological boost for the upcoming season. "I think this gives you a bit more confidence, achieving what you were looking for, and never getting complacent because every competition is different," she said. Despite acknowledging that her preparation wasn't ideal and she felt nervous, she focused and found the result beneficial.

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The Olympic cycle will be quite tough, but I visualize myself well, much stronger mentally and physically so we seek to train well.

Looking ahead to the Olympic cycle, González anticipates a challenging period but visualizes herself as mentally and physically stronger. Her next major competitions include the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, and the World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China. She identified improving her performance in longer distances as a key area for development, stating, "I think I need to improve the very long distances, I've always been like this, so I need to focus on getting rid of the fear of completing so many kilometers."

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I think I need to improve the very long distances, I've always been like this, so I need to focus on getting rid of the fear of completing so many kilometers.