Ana Villanueva of the Dominican Republic won the gold medal in karate in 50kg in the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games. The judges awarded her the match over Chilean Gabriela Bruna, 5-0. She tied two matches (against Merly Huamani of Peru, and Aurimer Ampos of Venezuela) and defeated Jusleen Virk of Canada and Aline Souza of Brazil, by a score of 2-1 in each match. Villanueva had won gold in the Guadalajara 2011 Pan Am Games in Mexico.
Villanueva is from Cotui, where she practiced the sport in the meeting hall of the Cotui municipal building before she moved to Santo Domingo and would be invited to become part of the national karate team. She has been competing internationally since 2005.
She joins Candida Vasquez in weightlifting, and Luguelin Santos in track and field as one of three Dominicans who have stood on the podium and had the honor of listening to the Dominican national anthem in Toronto.
The DR is in 12th place in the games with 3 gold, 5 silver and 9 bronze.
http://cotuidigital.net/index.php/opinion/208-biografia-de-ana-villanueva-la-cotuisana-que-gano-oro-en-karate.html
http://results.toronto2015.org/IRS/en/general/medallist-dominican-rep-.htm