Julio Mayora dedicates golds to Venezuela quake victims

Venezuelan Olympic weightlifter Julio Mayora has dedicated two gold medals at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games to victims of the June 24 earthquakes that devastated parts of Venezuela.

Mayora, a Tokyo 2020 silver medalist, lifted 151 kilograms to win gold in the snatch and clean and jerk competitions in Santo Domingo this weekend. He told AFP that the day after the earthquakes he helped carry beams, concrete blocks and other debris from collapsed buildings in La Guaira, the northern coastal Venezuelan state where he is from.

The double earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, killed more than 6,000 people. Government data said more than 40,000 homes were damaged, leaving thousands of Venezuelans homeless.

Fellow Venezuelan weightlifter Keydomar Vallenilla, also a Tokyo 2020 silver medalist, won gold at the Games. He told AFP that a young athlete from his gym in Caracas died in the earthquakes.

Both Mayora and Vallenilla said they are now looking toward the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.