Jiannis Amores, a 15-year-old swimmer representing the Dominican Republic, claimed a bronze medal in the women’s 100-meter butterfly at the Central American Games, posting a time of 59.19 seconds.
Amores was the youngest of the 10 competitors in the final. The next youngest was Venezuelan swimmer Monica Leydar, 18, who finished ninth. The rest of the field ranged in age from 21 to 26.
Born in the United States to a Dominican mother and an American father with Salvadoran and Ecuadorian roots, Amores was eligible to compete for multiple countries. Her mother, Jennifer Martinez, said her daughter did not hesitate when the time came to choose. Martinez told Diario Libre that Amores immediately said she wanted to represent the Dominican Republic, citing a deep pride in being from Santiago.
Amores said she dedicated the performance to her maternal grandfather and that she was proud to represent the country and happy with all the work it took to reach the podium. She shared it with Puerto Rico’s Kristen Romano, 26, who won her third gold of the Games in the event and set a record, and Mexico’s Miranda Grana, 21.
Her father, Dennis Amores, said she recently finished high school and ranks ninth in her event at the national level in the United States, with several universities already expressing interest in her.
Amores and her sister originally practiced gymnastics but switched to swimming during the pandemic.
