Central American and Caribbean Games . A multi-sport event held every four years, directed by the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organization (ODECABE), it is considered the oldest regional games in the world. The first two editions were named only Central American and, from 1935 , the Caribbean Games were added . Its main objective is to prepare athletes from the area for the Olympic cycle.
Emergence of the Games
The poor performance of athletes from the Caribbean and Central America in the World Olympics gave rise to the idea of organizing regional Games that would serve as preparation for the major event.
The Central American Games arose from the initiative of the Mexican delegates headed by Alfredo B. Cuéllar and Enrique C. Aguirre , together with the Cubans and Guatemalans, all of them participants in the Congress of the International Olympic Committee held in Paris , France , in 1924 [1] , who submitted the request, with the same spirit that Pierre de Coubertin had conceived for the Olympic Games , achieving the approval of the Fundamental Charter that governs said event and setting the date of the first confrontation for 1926, assigning Mexico the responsibility of the organization.
In the first three editions they were called Central American Games, later in 1935 the Caribbean was included, they are coordinated by the Central American and Caribbean Organization ( CSOCABE ).
Venues of the Central American and Caribbean Games
| Chronology of the Games [2] | |||
| Year | Edition | Headquarters | Country |
| 1926 | I Games | Mexico City | Mexico |
| 1930 | II Games | Havana | Cuba |
| 1935 | III Games | San Salvador | El Salvador |
| 1938 | IV Games | Panama City | Panama |
| 1946 | V Games | Barranquilla | Colombia |
| 1950 | VI Games | Guatemala City | Guatemala |
| 1954 | VII Games | Mexico City | Mexico |
| 1959 | VIII Games | Caracas | Venezuela |
| 1962 | IX Games | Kingston | Jamaica |
| 1966 | X Games | Saint John | Puerto Rico |
| 1970 | XI Games | Panama City | Panama |
| 1974 | XII Games | Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic |
| 1978 | XIII Games | Medellin | Colombia |
| 1982 | XIV Games | Havana | Cuba |
| 1986 | XV Games | Santiago de los Caballeros | Dominican Republic |
| 1990 | XVI Games | Mexico City | Mexico |
| 1993 | XVII Games | Ponce | Puerto Rico |
| 1998 | XVIII Games | Maracaibo | Venezuela |
| 2002 | 19th Games | San Salvador | El Salvador |
| 2006 | XX Games | Cartagena de Indias | Colombia |
| 2010 | XXI Games | Mayaguez | Puerto Rico |
| 2014 | XXII Games | Veracruz | Mexico |
| 2018 | XXIII Games | Barranquilla | Colombia |
| 2023 | XXIV Games | San Salvador | El Salvador |
Development of the Games
Mexico City 1926
Main article: I Central American Games .
I Central American Games.
The I Central American Games were held in Mexico from October 12 to November 2 , 1926 [3] [4] , with the participation of the host, Cuba and Guatemala and a total of 269 athletes, the sports that were included were: Athletics , Basketball , Baseball , Swimming , Diving , Fencing , Shooting , Volleyball and Tennis . The winner was Mexico with 67 medals, second Cuba with 44 medals and third Guatemala with 3 medals. In this sporting event the first athletes emerged who participated with great enthusiasm with the desire to represent Cuba, they did not ask or demand anything in return, they did not have adequate facilities or materials, but they all contributed to the development of sport in the area. Cuba won 15 bronze medals, 15 silver and 14 gold, some of which were won in the following sports:
- One in baseball
- Three in fencing, where Ramón Fonst stood out , winning in Sword , Foil and Sabre , he shared the distinction of most outstanding of the competition with the local diver Federico Mariscal .
- Three in swimming, Leonel Smith Polo , known as Bebito, won gold in the 400-meter freestyle, with a time of 6:6.3, gold in the 1500 with 26:17.7 and participated in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay along with Carlos González, Alberto Gou and Gonzalo Silverio, winning gold.
Although women were not allowed to participate, the first Central American Games paved the way for an event very similar to the summer events for the people.
Havana 1930
II Central American and Caribbean Games.
Main article: II Central American and Caribbean Games .
They were held in Havana , Cuba from March 15 to April 5 , 1930 [5] , where 9 countries participated, with 10 sports and 596 athletes, as for the general medal table it obtained 68 medals, of which 28 were gold, 19 silver and 21 bronze, followed by Mexico, with 40 medals, as well as Guatemala in third. Other participating countries were: Costa Rica , El Salvador , Honduras , Jamaica , Panama and Puerto Rico , who would later have outstanding performances in the organization and development of different Games.
The opening ceremony took place at the then La Tropical Stadium , which concluded with a baseball game between Guatemala and Cuba, where the host team won 15-1, with combined pitching by Manuel Domínguez and Francisco Clavel . Two sports were incorporated: soccer and volleyball . The participation of women in this type of event also appears as a precedent, with demonstrations by six Cuban athletes making their debut in tennis, with two teams competing against each other, since the invited participants were not present.
Mexico took first place in basketball, diving and volleyball, and Panama was third with four golds, one silver and five bronzes. Among the highlights were runner Reginal Bedford, nicknamed “The Panamanian Lightning” after his records in the 200 and 400 meter distances in the king of sports, as well as Mexican Indian Felipe Jardines, unstoppable in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
The Cuban delegation won the collective titles in athletics, baseball, soccer, fencing, tennis, swimming and shooting, and the following athletes stood out individually:
- María Luisa García Longa wins a gold medal and becomes the first champion in the history of this type of event.
- Ramón Fonst , three-time champion of the previous edition, once again dominated the foil and épée specialties without receiving a single touch in 21 outings on the court; due to an ankle injury, he was unable to win in sabre.
- Leonel Smith , Bebito, wins a silver medal in the 100-meter freestyle and gold in the 400-meter freestyle with 5:28.6, as well as in the 1,500 with 22:22.0
- Leonel Smith, Cosme Carol , Pablo la Rosa and Gonzalo Silverio , win gold in the 4 x 100 relay with 4:26.2
There is an interesting anecdote that shows the racial discrimination that existed in the country during that capitalist era. It occurred at the headquarters of the Habana Yacht Club where the swimming tournament was being held. The organizers and members of that club, exclusive for whites, did not allow the entrance to black and mulatto people, including three athletes who belonged to the Panamanian sports delegation that were to compete. This caused a great stir. Juan Gualberto Gómez wrote a letter of protest condemning this outrage. The Club Atenas issued an official note, while the Magnetic Sport Club , to which the athletes belonged, and the Sociedad de Jóvenes del Vals , sent telegrams to the President of the Republic on duty , Gerardo Machado , and to the Secretary of the Interior, condemning what had happened. This shows how racial conditions can also influence sports. The closing ceremony took place at the Amadeo Roldán Auditorium Theater , where the sporting success of the event was confirmed after the weak participation four years earlier.
San Salvador 1935
III Games in 1935
Main article: III Central American and Caribbean Games .
In 1934 , it was Guatemala’s turn to host the Games, but due to difficulties it was unable to host them and instead the Republic of El Salvador , one of the smallest nations in the area, took the initiative, but due to weather difficulties the games were postponed to March 16, 1935 [ 6] legalizing the current name of the Central American and Caribbean Games. Nine nations, 741 athletes and 14 sports participated in them, officially including female athletes.
Wrestling , Boxing and Equestrianism are added . Nicaragua is incorporated in place of Jamaica. Mexico regains the lead in the medal table, followed by Cuba with 85 medals; 31 gold, 30 silver and 24 bronze. Puerto Rico wins 4 medals in field and track, and Guatemala wins a gold medal for the first time when the pentathlete Felipe Orenalla won with a record for America . Cuba decides to withdraw the fencers, led by the two-time Olympic champion, Ramón Fonst . The fencers argued partiality and incompetence of the jury that acted in the foil modality. Individually, the following athletes stood out:
- Conrado Rodríguez wins 3 gold medals in the 100 and 200 meter dashes and the 4 x 100 meter relay.
- Raúl del Valle wins two gold medals in freestyle swimming at 400 and 1500 meters.
Panama City 1938
IV Central American and Caribbean Games.
Main article: IV Central American and Caribbean Games .
On February 5 , 1938 [7] , in Panama City , the Fourth Central American and Caribbean Games were inaugurated with 1,216 athletes from 10 countries, of which 197 were women, including Colombia and Venezuela.
A Fine Arts Competition is held and 14 records are improved in athletics and swimming, competing in 17 sports, incorporating Cycling , Frontenis , Weightlifting and Water Polo , as well as Athletics and Fencing in the women’s branch .
Mexico took first place, followed by Panama and Cuba , all with 24 gold medals in total, the tiebreaker was taken into account by the silver medals, since Mexico obtained 32 and Cuba 17 with 19 bronze.
There were difficulties with the refereeing in several sports, which provoked protests from some countries. In boxing, the Cuban federations decided to withdraw the athletes due to the actions of the judges. In women’s and men’s basketball, two silver medals were awarded in each category due to the lack of guarantees for the visitors, who would dispute the titles in extra matches against the hosts.
Barranquilla 1946
Main article: V Central American and Caribbean Games .
They were held in Barranquilla , Colombia between December 8 and December 28 , 1946 [ 8] . It was the first time that a city other than the capital of a country hosted these games. There was a four-year shift in date due to World War II . Thirteen countries participated, with 1,540 athletes, of which 294 were women. The Netherlands Antilles , the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago made their debut at these games .
Competitions were held in athletics, basketball, baseball, boxing, cycling, diving, fencing, racquetball, football, gymnastics, golf, weightlifting, wrestling, swimming, water polo, softball, tennis, shooting and volleyball. Gymnastics and softball were included in the games programme for the first time. Cuba ranked first with a total of 78 medals, of which 29 were gold, 26 silver and 23 bronze, followed by Mexico with 76 medals and Panama with 40.
Guatemala City 1950
Logo.
Main article: VI Central American and Caribbean Games .
One of the founding nations of the Central American and Caribbean Games, Guatemala, known as the land of the Quetzal , hosted the sixth edition of these regional events, held from February 8 to March 12, 1950 in Guatemala City [9] .
The Organizing Committee had to build various sports facilities to be able to hold the games in the allotted time. A record number of participants was set with 14 countries and 1,390 athletes. Haiti joined the competition with 22 competitors. Athletics attracted the most attention from the press, fans and all sports followers.
The money to finance the Cuban sports delegations to the Central American and Caribbean Games had gradually decreased, these were difficult times, so the Cuban Olympic Committee , receiving 25 thousand pesos less than in the previous event in Barranquilla, made a claim with a view to the Pan American Games in Buenos Aires , Argentina , the following year, where it stated:
understands that the national athletes are capable of giving brilliant performances at this important event; it fully supports and backs the entities, athletes and commentators who clamor for our presence. But it lacks the financial means to realize these desires.
Mexico took first place in the standings, followed by Cuba (79 medals; 24 gold, 27 silver, 28 bronze) and Puerto Rico. The Cuban athletes and sports that stood out were:
- Rafael Fortún wins gold, by tenths of a second in the 100-meter final with a time of 10.3 over Jamaicans McKenley and Lloyd La Beach of Panama, silver and bronze respectively.
- Reinaldo Paseiro wins the kilometer against the clock.
- The baseball team came in first place with the outstanding performances of players Edmundo Amorós , Antonio del Monte and Derubín Juárez.
Mexico City 1954
Main article: VII Central American and Caribbean Games .
The venue was Mexico City from March 5 to March 20 , 1954 [10] , for the second time, with the participation of 1,321 athletes, 163 of them women, and the participating countries: Netherlands Antilles, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
The sports competed in were: Athletics, Basketball, Baseball, Bowling, Boxing, Cycling, Diving, Horse Riding, Fencing, Football, Gymnastics, Golf, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Swimming, Water Polo, Tennis, Shooting and Volleyball . The opening ceremony brought the novelty of a giant choir that sang the Games Anthem, as well as the lighting of the symbolic or Central American fire, based on a tradition practiced by the Nahomas of that country every 52 years on the Cerro de la Estrella, as a sign of a new cycle of their existence, the organizers revived every detail on the eve of the opening day of the event. At midnight, a priest rubbed the two pieces of wood together until a spark was struck that lit a bonfire, from which young indigenous athletes lit their torches and made the journey through the Mexican city to the gate of the Ciudad Universitaria Stadium, where the champion of the Pentathlon of the previous edition, Amador Terán, lit the cauldron at the highest part of the sports facility. This initiative has been maintained; every four years the ceremony is held at the same site, from where it departs for the host country.
An important technological contribution to these games was the incorporation of the photo finish technique in athletics events. 19 records were set, 9 in swimming and 10 in athletics, where Cuba stands out with the following athletes:
- Camagüeyan Rafael Fortún, who won the 100-meter flat race for the third consecutive time in these events, has a personal record of not having lost any qualifying heat or semifinal in these editions. In the final he beat Jamaican Leslie Laing by just one tenth of a second and Cuban Raúl Mazorra finished third.
- In the round of the oval, Ángel García beat the world and Olympic record holder, George Rhoden, of Jamaica, thanks to the photo finish the winner was determined, as both athletes had scored 47.9.
Caracas 1959
Main article: VIII Central American and Caribbean Games .
Logo.
Due to the general elections in Venezuela in December 1958 and Olympic regulations establishing the impossibility of developing multi-sport events in parallel with political demonstrations, the eighth edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games moved the date of execution to the period between January 6 and January 20 , 1959 [ 11] , which made it difficult for Cuba to attend, since it had only been five days since the Triumph of the Revolution and it could not organize the delegation that would represent the country. Considered by some reporters as the most lavish Games held up to that time, the event included the first incursion of Guyana and a total of 200 women.
Mexico took first place and was also the only nation that has been present in all editions. In second place was Venezuela and in third place was Puerto Rico, which demonstrated its athletic preparation by triumphing in seven field and track events with ten second places and two bronzes, with Manuel Rivera, double record holder in athletics, standing out individually. They also won gold in baseball.
El Salvador was the champion in men’s basketball, ahead of the more traditional quintets such as Puerto Rico and Panama. Venezuela took first place in boxing, gymnastics, fencing and shooting, where it dominated in ten of the eleven events.
Weightlifter Eduardo Adriana from the Dutch Antilles was crowned champion with three Central American records in: strength, snatch and clean and jerk, and also won gold in the shot put.
Kingston 1962
Main article: IX Central American and Caribbean Games .
IX Central American and Caribbean Games.
Puerto Rico had been chosen as the country for the ninth edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games, but had difficulties and Jamaica accepted the host country and they were held from August 15 to August 28 , 1962 [ 12] , inaugurating a new phase for these regional events. For the first time a poor English-speaking country managed to host the games.
Two English-speaking countries made their debut, the Bahamas and Barbados . Cuba won 12 gold medals, four of which were in boxing and two in athletics, where the following stood out: Miguelina Cobián in the 100m, as well as Hilda Ramírez , known as La Bambina in the javelin throw ; in addition, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals.
Sailing debuted, but gymnastics and horse riding were eliminated. Mexico again won the medals, Venezuela came in second, and Cuba and Puerto Rico had a close fight for third and fourth place.
Saint John 1966
Main article: X Central American and Caribbean Games .
X Games logo.
They took place in San Juan from June 11 to June 25 , 1966 [ 13] . The United States government tried to affect Cuba’s presence by imposing on the Organizing Committee not to extend the invitation to Cuba, but the International Olympic Committee mediated in this situation because they could be penalized, however the Americans delayed the visas and put some obstacles. After a hectic process, they finally granted the visa, but not the permission to travel to the Puerto Rican capital in their own transport, that is, they would have to go to a third country to go from there to San Juan. Faced with so much maneuvering, the Cuban government made a sovereign decision to transport the delegation by sea.
The Cerro Pelado boat left Santiago de Cuba with the delegation and remained in international waters off the coast of Puerto Rico, claiming its right to do so. Finally, after several provocations by planes and coast guards, boats with Puerto Rican flags, not American ones, were allowed to land on Puerto Rican soil. Without a doubt, this was Cuba’s first gold medal at the Games, expressed in a historic document called the ” Cerro Pelado Declaration .”
Cuba comes in second place among countries with 35 gold medals, 19 silver and 24 bronze, for a total of 78 medals. Some of the results include:
- Enrique Figuerola wins gold in the 100-meter dash.
- Gold is won in: Boxing, fencing, baseball, weightlifting and Olympic wrestling .
- Gold medal in water polo, after only four years of practicing this sport.
- Gold is achieved in Volleyball, a discipline in which Mexico was the leader in the area.
- Baseball regained the title, last won in Guatemala in 1950 .
Panama City 1970
Main article: XI Central American and Caribbean Games .
XI Games Logo
Panama was the host for the second time, taking place between February 28 and March 14 , 1970 [14] . The inauguration took place at the Revolución Stadium with the participation of 20 countries, 16 sports and 2,096 athletes.
Cuba took first place, followed by Mexico and Colombia. The performance of the largest of the Antilles had such an impact that many specialists called this edition “The Cuban Games” , given the list of champions that amounted to 98, 61 silver and 51 bronze, for a total of 210 medals, among the most significant are:
- Baseball achieved its seventh victory, with the help of pitchers José Antonio Huelga and Santiago Mederos|Changa , who died a few years later.
- Gold medal in football, obtained when it was proven that the Colombian goalkeeper was playing in professional leagues, for which reason he was disqualified.
- Miguel Durañona displaced three-time champion, Guatemalan Teodoro Morales, in the high jump.
- Miguelina Cobián and Marlene Elejalde were the top figures, with three titles, including the 4 x 100 meter relay.
- Gymnastics makes a comeback at these events after its last competition in Caracas 1959, winning all the medals for both sexes.
- Boxing took first place collectively, with five gold medals.
- Wrestling won medals in all 10 divisions.
- Weightlifting wins 32 medals out of a possible 36
- Judo wins team gold.
- In sport shooting they win in 9 of the 16 categories.
- Water polo wins gold with 139 goals.
Santo Domingo 1974
Main article: XII Central American and Caribbean Games .
XII Central American and Caribbean Games
The Dominican Republic became the host for the second time, the games took place from February 27 to March 13 , 1974 [15] , surpassing the number of previous events with 2,052 participants, 23 countries and 18 sports.
The inclusion of women’s softball allowed Belize to win the championship, which was the first nation to win. Pitcher Linda Lewis worked in all of the Belizean team’s games, achieving nine victories.
In the sailing debut, Jamaica and the Virgin Islands shared the top titles.
Fencing and weightlifting are excluded, as this specialty was the one that affected Cuba the most, where a good number of titles were distributed, however it remains in first place with 101 gold medals, 55 silver and 35 bronze in the disciplines in which it competed, among which the following stand out:
- Men’s basketball, for the first time won the gold medal, the most outstanding players were: Pedro Chappé , Alejandro Urgellés , Juan Roca , Ruperto Herrera and Miguel Calderón .
- Track and field, Silvio Leonard and Alberto Juantorena set records .
- Gymnastics, Jorge Cuervo is nominated king of the games, winning all the apparatus and the all around, with the sole exception of the pommel horse.
Medellin 1978
Main article: XIII Central American and Caribbean Games .
Logo.
After 32 years of hosting the Central American and Caribbean Games, Colombia hosted the thirteenth edition from July 7 to July 22 , 1978 [ 16] , in the city of Medellin, known worldwide as the “City of Flowers” or “eternal spring” for its climate, the South American city hosted in 1978 the General Assembly of the Regional Sports Organization, ODECABE, in which Germán Rieckehoff , from Puerto Rico, was elected president. In the regional conclave itself it was decided to award for the first time the “José Beracasa” trophy, in honor of the outgoing president, after four terms, the two-time Olympic champion Alberto Juantorena was named honorary president for life, considering him the most outstanding athlete of the cycle that spanned between the 1974 edition and the one that began at that time.
The opening ceremony took place at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium with the presence of 21 countries, 2,605 athletes and 19 sports. An important modification to the Games regulations was approved to give more medal options to all participating nations. This was proposed to the ODECABE by the Cuban delegation. The argument was to limit the number of athletes per country to two as a maximum in all events, instead of the three allowed since the creation of the Games in 1926. In this way, greater representation was achieved on the podium and competitors from the same delegation were prevented from monopolizing all the medals in a particular discipline. Cuba took first place with 182 medals (120 gold, 44 silver and 18 bronze), and Mexico came second with 116, followed by Puerto Rico with 61.
The most memorable moment for fans was the triumph of the Cuban baseball team, which averaged almost six home runs per game. In the game against Puerto Rico, there was an endless third inning, with a record of 24 runs, 27 men at bat, 17 hits and 9 home runs, giving a knockout that has gone down in history as the highest-scoring. The most outstanding Cuban batter in the tournament was third baseman Pedro José Rodríguez with 15 home runs, six of them in two consecutive games, or three per game. The press ended up calling the team the second boxing team due to the number of knockouts delivered.
Havana 1982
Main article: XIV Central American and Caribbean Games .
XIV Central American and Caribbean Games.
In mid- March 1981 , the President of the Cuban Olympic Committee, Manuel González Guerra , received a special request from the head of CACSO, Germán Rieckehoff. Given the refusal of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico to host the XIV Central American and Caribbean Games, he asked Cuba to make an effort to ensure their continuity. Ten days later, the Cuban government agreed to hold the games, after 52 years of hosting the second version.
They took place between August 7 and August 18 , 1982 [ 17] , with the presence of 2,799 athletes from 22 countries and 24 sports, it had an Olympic Village located in the Vladimir Ilich Lenin vocational school, the president of the International Olympic Committee, the Spaniard Juan Antonio Samaranch who died in April 2010, as well as the head of the Pan American Sports Organization, Manuel Vázquez Raña , among other guests, were present.
The inauguration was carried out by Commander Fidel Castro Ruz at the Pedro Marrero stadium , and the oath was administered by Alberto Juantorena , who years later served as Vice President of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation.
Sailing is reintroduced as a discipline in the games, while table tennis, archery, field hockey and rowing are introduced into the official schedule of the games.
Cuba occupies first place in the medal table, with a total of 282 medals (of which 173 are gold, 71 are silver and 38 are bronze), Mexico is in second place and Venezuela in third.
The men’s 4x400m relay team made a great effort, as Alberto Juantorena received the baton with a lead of more than 20 metres in favour of the Jamaican relay team. Once again, he was able to close the gap in less than a minute to finish with a 10-metre lead over his opponent, which allowed him to win the competition with a time of 44.13.
Weightlifting recorded the first universal record in the history of these competitions by Cuban Daniel Núñez Aguiar in snatch and second place was obtained in baseball after losing to the Dominican Republic.
The greatest prize was the organization and discipline of the people in the first multi-sport competition organized by the Revolution after 1959.
Santiago de los Caballeros 1986
Main article: XV Central American and Caribbean Games .
File:XV – 1986.jpg
XV Central American and Caribbean Games.
With just twelve years of difference, the Dominican Republic hosted another edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games, this time with the incentive of celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of what was already considered the oldest regional multi-sport event on the planet. On that occasion, Santiago de los Caballeros was the main venue [18] , although for the first time two nations organized other disciplines simultaneously. Cuba received the swordsmen, while Mexico welcomed the rowers and the field hockey teams.
The Games were held between 24 June and 5 July 1968 , with the participation of 26 nations and 2,963 athletes, with the consequent and growing risk of gigantism, as 23 sports were contested, more than those included at that time in the programme established by the International Olympic Committee for the summer events.
The Regional Sports Organization (ODECABE) held its quadrennial conclave where the strength of these competitions was recognized. The growth of the titles in dispute, the disciplines in competition and the number of athletes motivated in-depth analysis, although it was finally concluded that the fifteen years of these competitions showed higher goals in physical activity in the area.
Silvia Poll, a Costa Rican swimmer, won ten gold medals, including records, equaling the feat of Puerto Rican Ann Lallande in swimming at the San Juan Games in 1966. Her only appearance in these competitions left the greatest trail of triumphs for Costa Rica in these competitions. Two years later, Poll would climb the Olympic podium and become one of the greatest figures of all time for her nation and America.
Ana Fidelia Quirós (born 1963) stood out by winning two gold medals in the 400 and 800 metres, after having won gold in the relay in the two previous editions. Likewise, Bahamian Pauline Davis became the queen of speed by winning the 100 and 200 metres.
The marathon test is established for the first time in these events, the Cuban Maribel Durrutí obtains a silver medal behind the Puerto Rican Naidy Nazario who becomes the leader of the race.
Cuba has taken first place in the medal table for the fifth consecutive time, confirming itself as a power in the area, with 299 medals, 174 gold, 81 silver and 44 bronze.
Mexico City 1990
Main article: XVI Central American and Caribbean Games .
XVI Central American and Caribbean Games.
After Cartagena de Indias and Guatemala City renounced the organization of the sixteenth Central American and Caribbean Games in 1990, Mexico accepted the hosting, becoming the only country up to that time that organized three regional events, having previously hosted them in 1926 and 1954. The event was held between November 20 and December 4 , 1990 [19] .
Due to the good preparation and support of the nations in the area, the competition transcended and became known as the Solidarity Games .
Four new sports have been added: badminton, canoeing, racquetball and taekwondo. Aruba and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have also joined, bringing the number of countries to 29 and the number of athletes to 4,206, with 30 sports in total.
Cuba maintains the first place among countries, despite having brought a smaller delegation than the previous event, accumulating 180 gold medals, with Ana Fidelia Quirós , Orestes Kindelán Olivares , Antonio Pacheco and Madelaine de Armas, among others, standing out, capable of setting forty records for the tournament, 90 silver and 52 bronze.
Mexico established itself as the second power in the area by winning 295 medals, 112 of which were gold.
The hosts achieved a victory by winning their first and only gold in men’s basketball at these events by beating the Puerto Rican quintet 69-64 against all odds in the final.
Cuba contributed by providing technicians and judges to the event, while several of the federation representatives held responsibilities in Congresses such as tennis, cycling, rowing, field hockey, among others.
Ponce 1993
Main article: XVII Central American and Caribbean Games .
XVII Central American and Caribbean Games.
Puerto Rico coincided the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the island with the seventeenth edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1993 [20] . By bringing the date forward eight months earlier than planned (from November 19 to 30 ), the city of Ponce welcomed a record number of countries to these events and also of athletes, exceeding five thousand.
These games produced record numbers in almost every field, with the largest representation of participating countries (32) and of disciplines (33), including handball, karate and skating. The number of accredited journalists was also the largest in history with 760 reporters and the medal tally rose to 1,164, divided into 370 gold, 368 silver and 426 bronze.
Cuba led the medal table with 227 gold medals, winning again in baseball , 76 silver medals, which is worth mentioning in men’s basketball after being defeated by the Puerto Rican team, and 61 bronze medals, with judoka Yovany Pérez Hernández standing out .
A piece of news that delighted Cuban and Caribbean fans was the return to the track of Ana Fidelia Quiros , after a domestic accident, winning a silver medal. Photographers, journalists and the Puerto Rican people crowned the effort of the so-called Caribbean Storm with applause and respect. The Cuban expressed the following with emotion:
I will keep this medal with special affection, because it represents that I have returned to life again.
Maracaibo 1998
Main article: XVIII Central American and Caribbean Games .
Logo of the XVIII Central American and Caribbean Games.
The XVIII Central American and Caribbean Games [21] [22] were held from August 8 to 22 , 1998. Venezuela was the host country for the second time and the city of honor was Maracaibo. Guatemala was the seat of Rowing for these Games. 3,570 athletes participated from 32 different nations, something well regarded by CACSO. Competition was held in 30 sports.
Cuban hegemony in sports was maintained when they won 335 medals (191 gold, 76 silver and 68 bronze) [23] . A total of 75 Central American and Caribbean records were set in this last sporting event. Venezuela won 56 gold medals, allowing it the best participation in its history, this event is called the “Games of the Sun” .
Doping overshadowed these games with ten cases, Mexico and the host country being the biggest offenders. A total of 75 records were erased from the books.
Guatemala was the host of the rowing competition because Venezuela did not have adequate facilities, while the delegations from Puerto Rico and Costa Rica suffered significant setbacks after their excellent performance in the previous edition in Ponce.
The sporting awakening of the small Caribbean islands was one of the fundamental characteristics of this event. Cuba was surprised in the athletics events by the rapid growth of this sport in Jamaica, Trinidad, Bermuda and the Bahamas, although individually Javier Sotomayor and Iván Pedroso led with their respective marks for the competition.
Surinamese swimmer Carolyn Adel became the great figure of the discipline with six golds, while Mexican Juan Pedro Toledo snatched the only gold in the 200-meter dash from the Caribbeans, as did Mexican runner Adriana Fernández , who was proclaimed champion in the 10,000-meter dash .
San Salvador 2002
Main article: XIX Central American and Caribbean Games .
XIX Central American and Caribbean Games
The XIX Central American and Caribbean Games were held from November 19 to 30 , 2002 [24] [25] , in San Salvador . In this edition, Mexico was crowned the top power, leaving second place to Venezuela. Cuba, winner of the last games, did not attend, citing lack of security for its athletes.
Mexico had 351 medals (138 gold, 111 silver and 102 bronze) compared to 277 for Venezuela (103-94-80). Liliana Allen, a naturalized Mexican from Cuba , was the star of the show by winning the 100 and 200 meter dash, thus winning 8 golds in the history of the Central American and Caribbean Games, in addition to becoming the first woman to win these races in three regional editions.
The organization and construction of sports venues for the 19th edition of the Games cost around 65 million dollars. For the second time in the Central American and Caribbean Games, Cuba was unable to participate, because despite repeated warnings from Cuban sports authorities in the months leading up to the Games, the Salvadoran organizers were unable to guarantee the minimum security for the sports delegation.
To reaffirm government support for physical activity and not waste all the months of preparation, the alternative of organizing the First Cuban Sports Olympiad in November 2002 arose .
Mexico and Venezuela took first place, and the host country came in seventh. The number of participants set another record for regional competitions, with seven thousand athletes.
Cartagena de Indias 2006
Main article: XX Central American and Caribbean Games .
Logo of the XX Cartagena de Indias Games
The XX Central American and Caribbean Games were held between July 15 and 30 [26] [27] in Cartagena de Indias , Colombia with the participation of 32 countries, 41 sports and 6000 athletes, of which 585 were Cuban. Cuba won first place with 285 medals, of which 139 were gold, 86 were silver and 60 were bronze. Some data are given below:
- Cuban athletics won 21 titles and a total of 45 medals (14 silver and 10 bronze), in triple jump and javelin, both in the women’s category, as well as in the women’s and men’s 800 meters and in the 4×100 relay.
- The triple jumper Mabel Gay (14.20) finished as the starters, ahead of Yudelkis Fernández (13.87) who won silver and the Colombian Johanna Treviño (13.71). The javelin thrower Sonia Bicet (63.30), beat Osleidys Menéndez (59.64) and the Bahamian Leverne Eve (57.28).
- The women’s 4×100 relay (43.29), made up of Virgen Benavides , Misleidys Lazo , Tomasa Díaz and Anay Tejeda , whose time improved the area record held by another Cuban quartet with 43.89, at the XVIII Games.
- In the laps around the oval, Zulia Calatayud (2:05:26) and Andy González (1:46:26) won, both easily ahead of local Rosibel García (2:05:78) and Mexican Gabriela E. Medina (2:06:25), and Sheridan Kirk (TRI) 1:46:55 and Mauris S. Castillo (Cub) 1:47:60.
- In the shot put, silver and bronze went to Alexis Plumier (18:26) and Reynaldo Proenza (18:03), behind Jamaican Dorian Scout, the first medal for Jamaica in that event.
- Bronze medal in 5,000 meters, won by Sorber Gutiérrez (14:13:50), 10 seconds below his best result.
- Bronze medal in the women’s 4×400 relay (3:36:24). The team consisted of: Ana Peña, Daimí Pernía Figueroa , Yuneysi Santiuste and Zulia Calatayud .
- Yailén García wins a silver medal in the marathon.
- Boxing won 11 medals, 8 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze.
- The team won the men’s and women’s judo championships with a total of 16 gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals. This sport was the one that brought the most medals to the Cuban delegation. The most outstanding athlete was the super heavyweight Oscar Brayson , with three medals.
- 12 titles were won in Greco-Roman wrestling by Cuban gladiators.
José Antonio Guerra during the competition.
- In wrestling, the Cubans took all the gold, with the young Michel Batista standing out in the 96 kilos after beating the experienced Puerto Rican Mathew Withe and in the 60 kilos, the Olympic champion Yandro Quintana, who defeated the Dominican Aneudy Navarro in the middle of the first half, as well as Serguey Rondón, in the 74 kilos, who won by superiority (4-0, 6-0) over the Venezuelan Máximo Blanco.
- Diver José Antonio Guerra wins 2 gold medals.
- In water polo, all titles were won by both sexes.
- Silver in women’s softball.
Mexico was second (107-82-86). The Games will be remembered for the deluges that disrupted the competition schedules, but the venues were always full. The venue was Cartagena de Indias, and the sub-venues were: Barranquilla (football, cycling, bowling and shooting), Bogotá (equestrian), Santo Domingo (pentathlon, handball, field hockey) and DF (rowing). The stars were the Mexicans Ana Gabriela Guevara Espinoza in the 400m dash and the gymnastics player Cynthia Valdés , in rhythmic gymnastics, by winning the 4 golds contested.
Mayaguez 2010
Main article: XXI Central American and Caribbean Games .
XXI Central American and Caribbean Games
Mayagüez ( Puerto Rico ) was the venue for the XXI Central American and Caribbean Games held between July 17 and August 1 , 2010 .
A record number of 5,400 athletes from 31 countries participated in the 2010 Mayagüez Games, with the only exception being Cuba [28] , which Mexico took advantage of to finish at the top of the overall medal table, with 133 gold medals, 129 silver and 122 bronze. Venezuela (113-104-104), Colombia (100-84-76), Puerto Rico (48-44-75) and the Dominican Republic (31-37-65) completed the ‘Top 5’ and surpassed their historical harvests in the number of gold medals won. 89 new sports records were also set.
The Puerto Rican public enthusiastically supported the great sporting event and, according to figures from the Organizing Committee, an average of 75,000 people attended the different events every day, which added up to a grand total of 1,050,000 attendees. The economic impact was also favorable for Mayagüez and preliminary calculations by the organizers indicated benefits of just over 116 million dollars.
In these Central Caribbean countries, in addition to Venezuela in football, Colombia was the host of speed skating and water skiing, and Guyana of rugby – in its first regional call-up – which benefited them because they ended up winning those sports.
Veracruz 2014
Main article: XXII Central American and Caribbean Games Veracruz 2014 .
XXII Central American and Caribbean Games
They were held from November 14 to 30, 2014 in the city of Veracruz as the main venue. It is the fourth time that Mexico has been the venue, made official by ODECABE on January 30, 2009 with 29 favorable votes from its delegates. Other cities such as Xalapa , Córdoba , Coatzacoalcos , and Tuxpan were sub-venues of the event.
Cuba finished in first place with 253 medals, of which 123 were gold, 66 silver and 64 bronze.
Quetzaltenango 2018
Main article: XXIII Central American and Caribbean Games .
They will be held in Guatemala in November 2018.
Sports called for the 2010 edition
The sports featured in the 2010 edition were:
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Handball
- Baseball
- Bowling
- Boxing
- Canoeing
- BMX cycling
- Mountain biking
- Track cycling
- Road cycling
- Diving
- Riding
- Fencing
- Water skiing
- Soccer
- Frontenis
- Artistic gymnastics
- Rhythmic gymnastics
- Trampoline Gymnastics
- Golf
- Field hockey
- Judo
- Karate
- Weightlifting
- Struggle
- Synchronized Swimming
- Swimming
- Figure skating
- Speed skating
- Modern Pentathlon
- Water polo
- Racquetball
- Rowing
- Rugby
- Softball
- Squash
- Taekwondo
- Tennis
- Table tennis
- Sport shooting
- Archery
- Triathlon
- Candle
- Volleyball
- Beach volleyball
Historical medal table
The following table presents the number of medals that have been awarded by ODECABE to its countries in the Central American and Caribbean Sports Games (1926-2010) [29] and [30] .
| No. | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Cuba | 1752 | 889 | 679 | 3320 |
| 2 | Mexico | 1235 | 1215 | 1087 | 3537 |
| 3 | Venezuela | 564 | 782 | 918 | 2264 |
| 4 | Colombia | 451 | 522 | 559 | 1532 |
| 5 | Puerto Rico | 323 | 486 | 486 | 1501 |
| 6 | Dominican Republic | 147 | 250 | 382 | 779 |
| 7 | Jamaica | 101 | 118 | 125 | 344 |
| 8 | Panama | 86 | 151 | 170 | 407 |
| 9 | Guatemala | 84 | 162 | 329 | 575 |
| 10 | El Salvador | 49 | 119 | 214 | 382 |
| 11 | Trinidad and Tobago | 43 | 76 | 101 | 220 |
| 12 | Costa Rica | 37 | 41 | 85 | 163 |
| 13 | Netherlands Antilles | 31 | 31 | 48 | 110 |
| 14 | Bahamas | 24 | 24 | 32 | 80 |
| 15 | Barbados | 14 | 15 | 46 | 75 |
| 16 | Surinam | 12 | 5 | 11 | 28 |
| 17 | US Virgin Islands | 11 | 20 | 19 | 50 |
| 18 | Guyana | 7 | 15 | 36 | 58 |
| 19 | Cayman Islands | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 |
| 20 | British Virgin Islands | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 21 | Nicaragua | 3 | 15 | 49 | 67 |
| 22 | Honduras | 3 | 12 | 33 | 48 |
| 23 | Haiti | 3 | 11 | 24 | 38 |
| 24 | Aruba | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| 25 | Saint Lucia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 26 | Bermuda | 2 | 4 | 14 | 20 |
| 27 | Belize | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 28 | Dominica | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 29 | Antigua and Barbuda | 0 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 30 | Grenade | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 31 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| 32 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 4999 | 4982 | 5685 | 15666 | |