At this year’s Olympic games, Latino fans cheered on athletes from their home countries as well as those representing Team USA.
As the Paris Games come to an end, thirteen Latinos are returning home with gold medals.
Rebeca Andrade was the pride of Brazil at this year’s Games. She earned the country a gold medal in the women’s gymnastics floor exercise, beating gymnast Simone Biles. Andrade also earned her country one bronze and two silver medals.
Beatriz Sousa brought Brazil, Latin America’s gold medal leader, its first Paris gold medal in the 78kg+ judo final.
Marileidy Paulino made history as the first woman from the Dominican Republic to win an Olympic gold during the women’s 400m race. She achieved the fourth fastest time in the event’s history.
Argentinian Diana Taurasi, who plays for Team USA’s women’s basketball team, won her sixth gold medal, breaking a tie with longtime American teammate Sue Bird for most gold medals in Olympic basketball history. These were her last Olympic Games.
Mijain López Núñez earned his record-breaking fifth consecutive gold medal for Cuba in the 130-kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling final. He’s the first Olympic athlete to win gold in any event at five consecutive Games and the first wrestler to win five gold medals. At the end of the fight, López Núñez placed his shoes in the center of the mat, symbolically indicating his retirement from wrestling.
Gymnast-turned-shooter Adriana Ruano made history during the women’s trap event, earning Guatemala its first-ever gold medal.
Cuba’s Erislandy Alvarez won the gold in the men’s lightweight boxing final against French favorite Sofiane Oumiha.
Brazil’s Ana Patrícia and Duda Lisboa earned their country a gold medal in women’s beach volleyball after a tense match against Canada.
Francisca Crovetto Chadid won Chile’s first Olympic gold in 20 years in the women’s skeet event at the Paris Games — and became the South American country’s first female Olympic champion.
Jose Torres Gil from Argentina won the gold in the BMX Men’s Freestyle and said that his win was for all Argentinian athletes who went to Paris to represent the nation. “My medal is for everybody,” Torres Gil said, according to The Associated Press.
In the 20-kilometer race walk, Brian Pintado won his first Olympic medal — and a gold for Ecuador — nearly beating an Olympic record.
As part of the U.S. women’s artistic gymnastics team, Hezly Rivera, whose parents are Dominican, went home with a gold medal. Rivera did not compete on Tuesday at the team final, but she made history earlier this summer by becoming the youngest member of Team USA headed to the Paris Olympics.
Latino medal countdown, by country:
Brazil took home the most medals of any Latin American country at the Olympic Games, including three gold medals. Latino athletes on Team USA were part of team events that earned the U.S. two gold medals and one silver medal at the Games.
- Latinos on Team USA: 2 gold, 1 silver
- Argentina: 1 gold, 1 gold, 1 bronze
- Brazil: 3 gold, 7 silver, 10 bronze
- Chile: 1 gold, 1 silver
- Colombia: 3 silver, 1 bronze
- Cuba: 2 gold, 1 silver, 6 bronze
- Dominican Republic: 1 gold, 2 bronze
- Ecuador: 1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze
- Guatemala: 1 gold, 1 bronze
- Mexico: 3 silver, 2 bronze
- Peru: 1 bronze
- Puerto Rico: 2 bronze
They won silver and bronze — and touched fans’ hearts
These athletes did not have win gold medals at the Paris Olympics, but their stories won over fans’ hearts.
At 17 years old, Ángel Barajas earned Colombia its first–ever Olympic medal in gymnastics during the high bar competition. Barajas had the same score as gold medalist Shinnosuke Oka, but won silver because Oka had a higher execution score. The Olympian returned to celebration in Colombia after his historic win.
Two Latinas represented Team USA on the women’s artistic swimming team, bringing home a silver medal for the team and compelling fans with their personal stories. Daniella Ramirez, a Venezuelan American, is a third-generation artistic swimmer whose silver medal at the Olympics completed her family’s American dream.
Teammate Anita Alvarez, who has Mexican ancestry, returned to the world stage this year after passing out in the pool at the world championships two years ago.
New Jersey native Sebastian Rivera, who competed for Puerto Rico at the Olympics, won the bronze in men’s 65–kilogram freestyle wrestling. The former Rutgers star was honored as Puerto Rico’s flag bearer during the opening ceremony.
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