Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas and Bermuda are regarded as track and field strongholds. Now, the Dominican Republic is gradually but surely, making its way to athletics stardom.
The 21-athlete Team Dominican Republic (nine men and 12 women) won 14 medals to place second behind Spain (30 medals) in the Iberoamerica Athletics Championship that took place 19-21 May 2022 in Alicante, Spain. Cuba was third with 10 medals.
The Dominican Republic is becoming a track and field powerhouse, as new athletes follow in the footsteps of two-time gold medallist Felix Sanchez and 2012 silver medalist Luguelin Santos. The good news is that most of the emerging track stars have been trained in the Dominican Republic.
In the important race held in Alicante, Spain, the Dominican team won six gold medals, five silver and three bronze medals. The event is a qualifier for the World Championship of Athletics in Oregon, United States, to be held from 15-24 July 2022, a qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
While Felix Sanchez was US-trained, the turning point for Dominican athletics is the Monte Plata National Games in 2006, when community leaders in the province made the difference by contracting national and international trainers to provide top class instruction to Dominican emerging athletes. The National Games left an excellent track in Monte Plata.
Several in the province, many against the counsel of their parents, would then get their start in the sport and, inspired by their coaches, continue to progress to world class levels. Luguelin Santos, silver medallist in London 2012 and in the relay in Tokyo 2020, is a product of Monte Plata. Marileidy Paulino is another product of the Monte Plata athletics program and Cuban coach Yaseen Perez.
Felix Sanchez would come to live in the Dominican Republic and now leads the national athletics program.
The Dominican winners of gold medals:
Alexander Ogando. 200m. 20.27
Marileidy Paulino. 400m. 49.49
Marysabel Senyú. High jump. 1.87
Lidio Feliz. 400m. 44.64
Men’s 4x400m. 3:00.98
Women’s 4×100. 43.81
The Dominican winners of silver medals:
Fiodaliza Cofil. 400m. 50.64
Luguelin Santos 400m. 45.50
Juander Santos 400m hurdles. 49.74
Yancarlos Martinez 200m. (20.60)
Men’s 4x100m. 39.19
Yancarlos Martinez. 200m. 20.60
The Dominican winners of bronze medals:
Rosa Angelica Ramirez. Shot put. 17.60
Ana Tima. Triple Jump
Women’s 4x400m. 3:33.41
The Dominican team traveled to Alicante, Spain head by technical delegate Alexis Peguero, who is the vice president of the Dominican Athletics Federation and coaches José Rubio and Olympian Félix Sánchez.
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World Athletics
23 May 2022