Dayli Cooper Breaks Central American Games Record in the 1,500 Meters at Santo Domingo 2026

August 7, 2026

Cuban middle-distance runner Dayli Cooper won gold in the women's 1,500 meters at the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo 2026, setting a new Games record with a time of 4:07.46 minutes in the race held August 5 at Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez.

Cooper's time broke the previous Games record of 4:10.39 minutes, held by Venezuela's Jocelyn Brea since San Salvador 2023. Fellow Cuban Anisleidis Ochoa took silver in 4:08.87, giving the island a one-two finish, while Mexico's Lorena Rangel earned bronze in 4:12.06.

"My goal, more than breaking the record, was achieving my personal best. I wanted to win the gold medal and, thank God, I got both things," Cooper said after the race.

Cooper, 24, from Camagüey, had already won gold in both the 800 and 1,500 meters at the Pan American Athletics Championships in Medellín in June 2026. Following her win in Santo Domingo, she said she intends to complete a "golden double" by also competing in the 800 meters, an event in which she holds the sixth-fastest time in the world this season at 1:56.10 minutes.