The Latin American and Caribbean Athletes Making History at the Paris 2024 Olympics
The 2024 Olympic Games kicked off on July 26 with an impressive opening ceremony in Paris. The event has since delivered spectacular displays of sportsmanship, historic wins and new records.
Hailing from different countries in the region, athletes across Olympic disciplines have drawn attention to Latin America with impressive performances. From Adriana Ruano Oliva, who secured Guatemala’s first-ever Olympic medal, to Daniel Pintado, whose win continued Ecuador’s race-walking tradition, Latin American Olympians are making history.
Below, EnVi recaps some of the most notable achievements by Latin American athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Angie Palacios and Neisi Dajomes Take Home First Ecuadorian Bronze Medals
Weightlifter Angie Palacios had an impressive and historic run at Paris 2024. At the August 9 Women’s 71kg weightlifting final, Palacios lifted a cumulative 256 kilograms. Taking third place on the podium, she became the first Ecuadorian athlete to ever win a bronze Olympic medal. Additionally, Palacios’ win officially made Paris 2024 Ecuador’s most successful Olympic Games to date, surpassing Tokyo 2020 (where Ecuador earned three medals).
The next day, Palacios’ sister Neisi Dajomes — gold medallist at Tokyo 2020 — competed in the Women’s 81kg weightlifting final. Dajomes also placed third, joining her sister in the exclusive pool of Ecuadorian bronze medal holders and further cementing her place in Ecuador’s Olympic history — she became the first Ecuadorian woman athlete to have earned more than one Olympic medal.
Barbara Domingos Competes in the Rhythmic Gymnastics Final
On August 9, Barbara Domingos extended her history-making streak at the rhythmic gymnastics finals. After scoring 129.750 points in the qualifying round, Domingos became the first Brazilian to qualify for and compete in the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around finals. Though Domingos placed 10th in the finals, she gave valiant performances that honored her Brazilian heritage.
Domingos has proven her rhythmic gymnastics prowess several times over the years. The 24-year-old won the bronze medal in ribbon at the 2023 World Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria. She was the first Brazilian rhythmic gymnast to not only reach a final but also claim an individual medal at a World Cup event. A week later, Domingos became the first Brazilian to win a medal — let alone take the gold — at the Grand Prix in Thiais, France.
Marileidy Paulino Becomes the First Dominican Woman to Win Olympic Gold
Hailing from Don Gregorio, Dominican Republic, Marileidy Paulino put her town on the map with her historic victory at the 400-meter dash on August 9. With a packed stadium, and cheers surrounding her, Paulino completed the race in just 48.17s setting a new Olympic record previously established by French athlete Marie-José Pérec’ in 1996. This made her the fifth fastest woman ever in the 400m event. Not only did the Olympian set a new record in the discipline but she also became the first woman ever to win gold for the Dominican Republic.
Paulino has no sports background, picking up athletics in 2015 as a means to support her family, which makes this win even more special. Paulino made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, winning silver twice as the first woman to win an individual medal in athletics for the Dominican Republic. She also is a two-time Diamond League trophy winner and won Gold at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest last year.
Daniel Pintado and Glenda Morejón Take Silver in Race Walk Relay Mixed Debut
On August 7, Ecuadorian racewalkers Daniel Pintado and Glenda Morejón cemented their place as leading figures of race walking in Latin America. With the Eiffel Tower in the backdrop, Pintado and Morejón participated in an intense 41.4 km relay mixed marathon in Trocadero. After alternating between first and second place throughout the race, the duo secured a Ecuador’s second medal in the Paris 2024 Olympics when Morejón crossed the finishing right after Spain’s Maria Perez.
Despite not taking the gold, Pintado and Morejón will go down in history for being part of the inaugural podium of the first-ever relay mixed marathon — a newly introduced event. Pintado, who earned Olympic gold in the men’s 20km race, also unlocked a big feat: becoming the first Ecuadorian athlete to win two medals in the same edition of the Olympic Games. The medal also served to further confirm Morejón status as one of Ecuador’s most prominent sportswomen.
“I think we are still dreaming, it is something historic,” Pintado said of his and Morejon’s win. “It was great to have coincided with Glenda at these Olympic Games, we did an excellent job, an excellent strategy and we dreamed about it, we dreamed about it a week ago. We talked about taking good care of ourselves, because the goal was [to win] for a country.”
Rebeca Andrade Becomes Most Decorated Latin American Gymnast
Rebeca Andrade took the gold medal in a thrilling individual floor gymnastics final. In her highly-anticipated showdown against Simon Biles (USA), Andrade surpassed the gymnastics legend by a slim 0.033 points. Andrade solidified her stance as Brazil’s pride as she tumbled through the air to the tune of Anitta and Beyoncé.
This is Andrade’s fourth medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and sixth overall — making her the most decorated Brazilian Olympian of all time. Additionally, Andrade’s August 5 victory makes her the most-awarded Latin American gymnast in history. Andrade’s triumph was enthusiastically celebrated by fellow competitors and Bercy Arena audience members. A photo of Biles and Jordan Chiles (USA) honoring Andrade on the podium went viral on social media.
Ángel Barajas Wins Colombia’s First Gymnastics Medal
Colombian gymnast Ángel Barajas swung his way into history at the August 5 horizontal bar finals. After scoring 14.533 — the same score as gold medalist Oka Shinnosuke — with a clean routine, Barajas won the event’s silver medal. Though Barajas had the same overall score as Shinnosuke, Shinnosuke took the gold with a higher Execution score (the tie-breaking metric). At just 17 years old, Barajas became the owner of Colombia’s first-ever gymnastics medal. Not only that, the young Olympian is the first Colombian athlete to win a medal at this year’s Summer Games.
Though the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are Barajas’ first Olympics, he has competed since 2021. Barajas was the 2022 South American Youth Games champion and won silver in the 2023 Junior World all-around category.
Julien Alfred Wins Saint Lucia’s First Gold Medal
On August 3, Julien Alfred sprinted her way into history as Saint Lucia’s first-ever Olympic gold medal winner. Alfred, who hails from the small Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia, took first place in the women’s 100m final with a time of 10.72 seconds. The 23-year-old Olympian got her start as a young student, running around school and, later, as a Division 1 athlete at The University of Texas at Austin.
Now, with her gold medal, Alfred hopes that Saint Lucia can construct the appropriate facilities to inspire future generations of athletes. Crowds in Saint Lucia gathered to watch Alfred compete on Saturday, exploding into cheers upon her victory. The Government of Saint Lucia has shared continuous long-term support for Alfred, celebrating her triumph to the extent of declaring August 3 “Juju Day.”
Juan Celaya and Osmar Olvera’s Springboard Silver Medal
Mexican diving powerhouses Juan Celaya and Osmar Olvera put on a fierce fight at the men’s 3m springboard synchro event on August 2. After going head-to-head with the People’s Republic of China through six rounds, the Mexican divers took second place with a combined score of 444.03.
The last jump was particularly nerve-wracking and decisive as Celaya and Olvera performed a perfect forward jump with two and a half turns and three turns that defined the podium. The feat earned Mexico its first-ever Olympic medal in diving, which Celaya and Olvera celebrated with a playful handshake.
Daniel Pintado Continues Ecuador’s Race-Walking History
On August 1, Ecuadorian athlete Daniel Pintado won Ecuador’s first medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 29-year-old was crowned Olympic champion in the 20km race, reprising Ecuador’s race-walking tradition — the country has birthed race-walking icons like two-time Olympic medalist Jefferson Pérez and Panamerican champion and celebrated coach Andrés Chocho.
Pintado became Ecuador’s fourth gold medalist and overall fifth athlete to win a medal at any Olympic Games. The sportsman took first place after breaking away from the leading pack in the last stretch, leaving behind Brazilian racewalker Caio Bonfim and Spain’s Alvaro Martin. Bonfim and Martin took the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
After crossing the finishing line, the Ecuadorian athlete went viral for his celebratory act — a jump, reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo’s “Siu” goal celebration — and his good luck charms: a picture of his children and a scarf with a handwritten note from his mom.
Adriana Ruano Oliva Wins First Gold Medal in Guatemala’s history
July 31 will go down in history as the day Guatemala won its first-ever Gold Olympic medal. Adriana Ruano Oliva was responsible for the great milestone. The gymnast-turned-shooter won the women’s trap after smashing 45 clays and breaking the Olympic record.
Ruano’s win was memorable in many ways. Not only did the shooter become the first gold medalist in Guatemala’s history, but she also became the first Guatemalan woman to win an Olympic event and Guatemala’s third Olympic medalist overall — previously, Erick Barrondo won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics and the day before Ruano’s win, fellow shooter Jean Pierre Brol claimed bronze in the trap men’s finals.
Additionally, Ruano became the third woman from Central America to win an Olympic medal, joining Costa Rican sisters Claudia and Silvia Poll, who accumulated medals at the Seoul 1988, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
José “el Maligno” Torres Takes Argentina’s First Gold Medal in Cycling Sports
José Torres Gil — also known as “El Maligno” — gave Team Argentina their first gold medal at the Paris Olympics. The first-time Olympian won the final of the BMX freestyle cycling event, leading the classification with 94.82 points and claiming gold. The Bolivia-born athlete, who moved to Argentina as a child, has previously snatched the gold at the 2023 Pan American Games and is a two-time X Games medalist.
Upon his arrival at the Olympic villa, where he was received by his fellow athletes, “El Maligno” shared, “I am new to the Olympic world and now I better understand all the effort that they make, first to get to the Games, and then to give their best in each competition. I feel that with this medal I may have represented a little bit those who have already competed and perhaps deserved to have had better luck. Sport is like that, sometimes you win and other times you lose. You have to be prepared for both things. I want to repeat until I get tired that I am very happy and grateful to all the athletes who came to greet me.”
Prisca Awiti Alcaraz Achieves Mexico’s First Judo Medal
Mexican-Kenyan judoka Prisca Awiti Alcaraz made it to the finals of the -63kg women’s class after displaying great defense and technique. In early rounds, Awiti faced Nigara Shaheen (Refugee Team), Angelika Szymanska (Poland), Lubjana Piovesana (Austria) and Katerina Kristo (Croatia), rising as a winner and eventually reaching the finals.
Awiti, who has represented Mexico at international competitions since 2017, took the silver after a grand final against Andreja Leski (Slovenia). Though the Slovenian judoka sealed a victory by ippon, Awiti earned Mexico its first Olympic-level judo medal.
“I still can’t believe it, it hasn’t dawned on me that I’m an Olympic medalist, but I feel very proud and very happy,” she shared after her historic win. Awiti also acknowledged her fellow Mexican athletes. “In Mexico, women are very strong. We have a lot of talent and I think it will not be Mexico’s last battle in these Olympic Games.”
Gabriel Medina Sets an Olympic Surfing Record
Brazilian pro surfer Gabriel Medina broke the Olympic record for the highest single-wave score in the third round of men’s surfing. On July 29, Medina scored a near-perfect 9.90 during the day’s fifth heat. As he exited the barrel wave, the surfer launched off his board in what is now a viral sensation: an image of Medina, seemingly floating parallel to his surfboard, pointing to the sky. Previously, fellow Brazilian surfer Ítalo Ferreira held the highest single-wave score of 9.73, achieved at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Medina has been a dominating presence in the professional surf scene for more than 10 years. In 2014, Medina became the first Brazilian pro surfer to win the WSL World Championships, where he competed alongside many talented Brazilian surfers. His victory inspired a new generation of passionate Brazilian surfers, aptly named the “Brazilian Storm.” Now, a decade later, Medina continues to expand his legacy by setting a high Olympic bar.
Hillary Heron Performs a Biles I
Panama’s Hillary Heron might have not claimed an Olympic medal but she made history at the Bercy Arena. On July 28, Heron became the first gymnast, other than Simone Biles herself, to perform the Biles I. The 20-year-old made headlines after completing a complex tumbling move (a double layout half out) named after the United States Olympic champion, Simone Biles. Heron included the complicated element in her Floor routine during the gymnastics qualifier.
ICYMI, gymnastics moves take the name of the first athlete who successfully introduces them in an international competition routine. The element, however, requires a certain level of difficulty, as per the Code of Points of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
Although Heron ultimately didn’t win a medal, she shared that the experience was “a dream come true” and she’s already anticipating what will come next in her career. The 2024 Olympic Games were not the first international event where Heron made history. The Panamanian gymnast also has a namesake move, the Heron — a 1.5 twisting-double back — which she performed at the 2024 Cairo (Gymnastics) World Cup.
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