At 1:18 am local time on August 2, Venezuela’s Astrid Montero stepped onto the podium at Santo Domingo 2026 with gold around her neck. She had just pinned Mexico’s Melanie Jiménez in the women’s 62-kg final. Four hours later, Nathaly Griman repeated the feat, besting Ámbar Garnica of Mexico in the 68-kg category. Both victories marked Venezuela as the standout nation in women’s freestyle wrestling at the regional games.
Montero’s triumph in the 62-kg final capped a weekend of dominance. She edged past Jiménez with a calculated mix of pressure and precision. Bronze went to Cuba’s María Santana and Colombia’s Katherine Rentería, who split the remaining podium spots. In the 68-kg final, Griman’s timing and footwork were untouchable. Garnica, despite a valiant challenge, could not match her rhythm.
Team depth lifts Venezuela's medal count
Beyond the two golds, Venezuela’s wrestlers added four more medals to their haul. María Acosta took silver in the 76-kg category, while Alexa Álvarez did the same in the 53-kg class. Nohalis Loco and Yohelyn Valera each added bronze, in the 50-kg and 57-kg divisions respectively. No other nation in the games matched Venezuela’s six-medal performance in the discipline.
The results reflect a growing strength in women’s wrestling for Venezuela. The team’s performance in Santo Domingo 2026 came off the back of regional success in recent years. With two-time champions like Montero and emerging talents like Griman, the nation appears poised to challenge for global titles in coming cycles.