SANTO DOMINGO. Dominican judoka Ana Rosa wrote one of the first golden chapters of the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026 by winning the women’s -57 kg title, becoming the first champion for the host delegation at this edition of the Games.

Competing in the final at the Judo Pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center, Rosa defeated Colombia’s María Villalba by ippon at 3:40 of the bout, sparking celebrations among the home crowd.

More than an individual triumph, Ana Rosa’s victory represented the Dominican Republic’s first gold medal at Games hosted on home soil. The result opened the host nation’s gold-medal account and strengthened its aspirations in the centennial edition of the regional event. Backed by a strong international résumé, the Dominican judoka lived up to expectations with a commanding performance on the tatami.

On her way to the title, Ana Rosa advanced directly to the quarterfinals after Costa Rica’s Jimena Arce did not appear for their scheduled match. She then defeated Venezuela’s Audreys Pacheco by yuko in the semifinals before sealing the gold medal with an ippon victory over Villalba, an experienced competitor on the continental circuit.

Colombia’s María Villalba claimed the silver medal, while the bronze medals went to Venezuela’s Audreys Pachecoand Panama’s Kristine Jiménez, who each won their respective bronze-medal contests.

The result also marks another milestone in Ana Rosa’s Central American and Caribbean Games career. After reaching the podium at San Salvador 2023, the Dominican judoka took the next step by capturing the gold medal in front of her home fans, becoming one of the standout performers on the opening day of the judo competition.

Judo action will continue at the Judo Pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center with additional men’s and women’s weight categories, where more medals will be decided as the Dominican Republic looks to add to its medal haul at the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026.