Small Islands, Big Achievements at 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games

Image Credit: Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe Santo Domingo 2026/@SantoDomingo2026 on Instagram

CABO ROJO, PUERTO RICO — The 2026 Central American & Caribbean Games concluded yesterday in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, bringing together nearly 6,200 athletes from 37 countries across the region. The Games marked the 100th anniversary of the competition, which was first held in Mexico in 1926.

After two weeks of competition, the Games received very little coverage from U.S. sports media. That is unfortunate, because the medal results tell an impressive story—particularly about the small island nations of the Caribbean.

At Latino Sports, we are proud to provide the complete medal count (below and listed later) and a few observations about an event that deserves far greater recognition.

It is not surprising that the largest countries in the region—Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela—finished among the leaders in total medals. Their larger populations provide a much larger potential pool of athletes than countries such as Guatemala, Panama and Costa Rica, and certainly compared with the smaller Caribbean island nations.

What is remarkable, however, is the performance of the Greater Antilles. Cuba, The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico all finished among the top six countries in the overall medal standings. Their performances demonstrate once again that population size is not necessarily a measure of athletic talent, determination or national pride.

Cuba: A Remarkable Achievement

Perhaps the most impressive story of these Games was Cuba.

Despite the severe economic difficulties facing the island and decades of a U.S. blockade, sanctions and restrictions, Cuba sent 504 athletes to Santo Domingo and returned home with an extraordinary 155 medals, including 51 gold medals. Cuba finished third in the gold-medal standings, behind only Mexico and Colombia.

Think about that for a moment.

Cuba has a population of approximately 11 million people—far smaller than many of the countries competing in these Games. Yet its athletes were able to compete at the highest level and win medals at a rate that placed the country among the region’s sporting powers.

For us, this is more than a number on a medal table. It is a testament to the determination, discipline and resilience of Cuban athletes and to the country’s long tradition of developing athletes despite extremely difficult economic circumstances.

The limited attention these Games received in the United States is therefore particularly disappointing. The success of Cuba does not fit neatly into the familiar narrative often presented about an island struggling under economic pressure caused by a U.S. regime change policy. Whatever one’s political views regarding Cuba, its athletes’ accomplishments deserve recognition on their own merits.

They traveled to Santo Domingo, competed against countries with considerably larger populations and greater economic resources, and won 51 gold medals and 155 medals overall.

That is something to celebrate.

The Caribbean Makes Its Mark

The Dominican Republic also turned in an outstanding performance, finishing with 150 total medals, including 46 gold.

Competing on home soil undoubtedly brought additional pride to the Dominican athletes and fans, but their success was also a reflection of the country’s growing strength across numerous sports.

And then there is Puerto Rico

With the smallest population among the six countries at the top of the medal standings, Puerto Rico captured an impressive 124 medals, including 34 gold.

For an island of Puerto Rico’s size to compete successfully against countries with populations many times larger is another reminder of the extraordinary athletic talent found in this island nation.

The results of these Games should make us proud—not only as Caribbean people, but as sports fans who understand what it takes for athletes from smaller nations to compete on an international stage.

Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico have once again demonstrated that small islands can produce big results.

The athletes are the ones who deserve the applause. They trained, sacrificed and competed for their countries, often under circumstances that athletes from larger and more economically powerful nations may never experience.

At Latino Sports, we believe these stories deserve to be told.

Congratulations to all the Cuban athletes for their tremendous performance and tenacity. Congratulations as well to the athletes of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico for their outstanding medal totals.

The 2026 Central American & Caribbean Games have come to an end, but the accomplishments of these athletes will remain.

We look forward to covering the 2030 Games—and continuing to tell the stories of Caribbean and Latino athletes who too often do not receive the recognition they deserve.

2026 Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo: Medal table – complete list

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1.	Mexico	167	125	115	407
2.	Colombia	91	98	77	266
3.	Cuba	51	48	56	155
4.	Venezuela	49	70	97	216
4.	Dominican Republic (H)	46	37	67	150
6.	Puerto Rico	34	35	55	124
7.	Guatemala	18	32	44	94
8.	Panama	8	8	8	24
9.	Trinidad and Tobago	6	5	10	21
10.	El Salvador	6	4	14	24
11.	Costa Rica	5	6	15	26
12	Guyana	3	1	2	6
13.	Barbados	2	5	2	9
14.	Aruba	2	2	7	11
15.	Guadeloupe	2	0	3	5
16.	Jamaica	1	4	6	11
17.	Honduras	1	4	4	9
18.	Bermuda	1	1	4	6
19.	Haiti	1	1	3	5
20.	Grenada	1	0	1	2
21.	Nicaragua	0	3	4	7
22.	Bahamas	0	2	2	4
23.	Virgin Islands, US	0	1	3	4
24.	Saint Lucia	0	1	1	2
=25.	Antigua and Barbuda	0	1	0	1
=25.	British Virgin Islands	0	1	0	1
27.	Curaçao	0	0	2	2
=28.	Belize	0	0	1	1
=28.	Cayman Islands	0	0	1	1
=28.	Suriname	0	0	1	1
=28.	St. Vincent and the Grenadines	0	0	1	1

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