Two-Time Olympic Champion Julio César La Cruz Falls Short of Gold in Santo Domingo 2026 Final

August 8, 2026

Cuban boxer Julio César La Cruz, a two-time Olympic champion, was unable to add a fourth Central American and Caribbean Games title to his career after losing the 90-kilogram gold-medal final at Santo Domingo 2026 to the Dominican Republic's Cristian Pinales by split decision, 4-1, in bouts held August 7-8.

The result marked a notable upset, as La Cruz — one of Cuban boxing's most decorated figures, with Olympic titles in the light heavyweight division at Rio 2016 and the heavyweight division at Tokyo 2020 — had entered the tournament as the standout name in Cuba's boxing delegation.

La Cruz's defeat was part of a difficult night for Cuban men's boxing at the Games: fellow Cubans Yusnier Sorsano and Alejandro Claro also fell in their respective gold-medal bouts, losing to Dominican opponents Ricardo Cuello and Yunior Alcántara. Host Dominican Republic swept all seven men's boxing finals contested that evening.

Despite missing out on a fourth regional title, La Cruz remains one of the most successful boxers in Cuban history, with five World Amateur Boxing Championships and two Olympic gold medals to his name.