Held during the centenary edition of the Games, first organised in 1926, the competition took place at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center from 25th to 28th July. The event reaffirmed the importance of the Central American and Caribbean Games within the Olympic cycle, offering athletes an important opportunity to compete on one of the region's most prestigious multisport stages.
Cuba once again confirmed its status as the region's leading judo nation, finishing at the top of the medal table with six gold medals. The Dominican Republic delighted the home crowd by collecting the highest overall medal tally with twelve medals, while Venezuela produced one of its strongest performances in recent history, claiming three individual gold medals before capturing the mixed team title.
Among the standout individual performances, Cuba celebrated titles through Jonathan Charon (-60 kg), Orlando Polanco (-66 kg), Marlon Herrera (-73 kg), Iván Felipe Silva (-100 kg), Andy Granda (+100 kg) and Dali Sentmanat Despaigne (-52 kg). The Dominican Republic secured memorable victories thanks to Robert Florentino (-90 kg), Ana Rosa (-57 kg) and Esmeralda Damiano Guerrero (-70 kg), while Venezuela's individual champions were Anriquelis Barrios (-63 kg) and Karen León (+78 kg). Panama's Némesis Candelo (-48 kg), Puerto Rico's Adrián Gandía (-81 kg) and Colombia's Brenda Olaya (-78 kg) also climbed to the top of the podium.
The mixed team competition provided a fitting finale. Venezuela defeated El Salvador before overcoming hosts Dominican Republic in a thrilling 4-3 semi-final. Mexico advanced to the final after defeating Colombia, setting up a closely contested gold medal match. With the score tied at 3-3, the decisive contest was drawn in the +70 kg category, where Karen León scored yuko in golden score against Mexico's Liliana Cárdenas to secure the title for Venezuela. Cuba and the Dominican Republic completed the podium with bronze medals.
Karen León emerged as one of the stars of the tournament. After winning the women's +78 kg individual title, the Venezuelan flag bearer delivered the decisive victory in the mixed team final, completing an outstanding double that symbolised the rise of Venezuelan judo.
For Panama, Némesis Candelo also enjoyed a memorable competition, earning her country's first gold medal of the Games by winning the women's -48 kg category. Her success, combined with Kristine Jiménez's bronze medal at -57 kg, marked an important achievement for the Panamanian delegation.
As the curtain fell on the judo competition in Santo Domingo, the tournament offered an excellent showcase of both established champions and emerging talent. With outstanding performances across the tatami and an unforgettable mixed team finale, the Central American and Caribbean Games demonstrated the vitality and continued development of judo throughout the region.
FINAL RESULTS
Men
-60 kg
- 1 Jonathan Charon — Cuba
- 2 Jairo Moreno — El Salvador
- 3 Diego García Ramírez — Rep. Dominicana
- 3 José Ramos — Guatemala
-66 kg
- 1 Orlando Polanco — Cuba
- 2 Robin Jara — México
- 3 Diego Calix — El Salvador
- 3 Willis García — Venezuela
-73 kg
- 1 Marlon Herrera — Cuba
- 2 Ulises Méndez — México
- 3 Maikor Yefri Louis Pierre — Rep. Dominicana
- 3 Ferney Ruiz Mesa — Colombia
-81 kg
- 1 Adrián Gandía — Puerto Rico
- 2 Gilberto Cardoso — México
- 3 Luis Pariche — Venezuela
- 3 John Pérez Ruiz — Colombia
-90 kg
- 1 Robert Florentino — Rep. Dominicana
- 2 Derik Rodríguez — Puerto Rico
- 3 Jonhelius Patete — Venezuela
- 3 Diego Díaz — México
-100 kg
- 1 Iván Felipe Silva Morales — Cuba
- 2 Francisco Balanta — Colombia
- 3 Samuel Corzo — Venezuela
- 3 Alexis Esquivel — México
+100 kg
- 1 Andy Granda — Cuba
- 2 José Nova Alcántara — Rep. Dominicana
- 3 Luis Amézquita — Venezuela
- 3 Sergio Del Sol — México
Women
-48 kg
- 1 Némesis Candelo — Panamá
- 2 Estefanía Soriano — Rep. Dominicana
- 3 Gabriela Miranda — Venezuela
- 3 Erika Lasso — Colombia
-52 kg
- 1 Dali Sentmanat Despaigne — Cuba
- 2 Francine Echevarría — Puerto Rico
- 3 Samantha Josefa — Rep. Dominicana
- 3 Paulina Martínez — México
-57 kg
- 1 Ana Rosa — Rep. Dominicana
- 2 María Villalba — Colombia
- 3 Audreys Pacheco — Venezuela
- 3 Kristine Jiménez — Panamá
-63 kg
- 1 Anriquelis Barrios — Venezuela
- 2 Prisca Awiti Alcaraz — México
- 3 Creymarlin Valdez — Rep. Dominicana
- 3 Maylin Del Toro Carvajal — Cuba
-70 kg
- 1 Esmeralda Damiano Guerrero — Rep. Dominicana
- 2 Eliana Aguiar — Venezuela
- 3 Katia Castillo — México
- 3 Anisleidys Ur López — Cuba
-78 kg
- 1 Brenda Olaya — Colombia
- 2 Sairy Colón — Puerto Rico
- 3 Eiraima Silvestre — Rep. Dominicana
- 3 Lianet Cardona — Cuba
+78 kg
- 1 Karen León — Venezuela
- 2 Brigitte Carabalí — Colombia
- 3 Moira Morillo — Rep. Dominicana
- 3 Dayanara Curbelo Travieso — Cuba
TEAMS
