Yeral Núñez won the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026 on Tuesday. The 23-year-old athlete finished first with a time of 48.30 seconds in an exciting final at the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium.
The win marks the first Dominican medal in the history of the competition in this specialty. Núñez maintained a solid pace throughout the race and accelerated in the closing meters to claim victory.
The performance was a major turnaround for the Dominican hurdler. At the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, Núñez finished in seventh place with a time of 49.88 seconds. Three years later, he reached the top of the podium at home in front of his crowd.
Career Growth and Personal Best
Trained at the Félix Sánchez Academy, Núñez has shown notable progress in recent years. In 2026, he set a personal record of 47.77 seconds, placing him among the top 400-meter hurdlers in the world and positioning him as a strong contender for regional gold.
The victory confirms the strong momentum of Dominican athletics, which continues to add regional titles through a generation led by stars such as Marileidy Paulino and Núñez. Their success has established the country among the leading powers in the region.
With this gold medal, the Dominican Republic continues to build its athletics tally at Santo Domingo 2026. The win gives Núñez the largest regional achievement of his career while continuing a Dominican tradition of excellence in the 400-meter hurdles.
