Havana, October 27 (RHC) – Cuban triathletes Marcos Alejandro Fernández González and Isabel Rodríguez Silverio won the silver medal this Sunday at the World Triathlon Development Regional Cup Limón 2026, held in Playa Cieneguita, Costa Rica.
In the elite men’s race (sprint distance: 750m swim, 20km bike, and 5km run), Fernández crossed the finish line in 55:29, the same time as Mexican Luis Miguel Chávez Sánchez, who took the gold.
Costa Rican Gerald Rojas Carvajal completed the podium in 55:33. Another Cuban, Jorge Emmanuel Alemañez Martínez, finished fourth with 56:25.
In the women’s category, Isabel Rodríguez Silverio won silver with a time of 1:04:32, behind Argentinian Sofía De Rosas (1:04:14). Guatemalan Bivian Andrea Luisita Díaz Fuentes took the bronze (1:04:58).
Both results reinforce the strong performance of Cuban triathlon, following recent showings at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo and other regional competitions.
Why did the Mexican athlete win gold if they finished with the same time? According to World Triathlon competition rules, the ranking is determined by the order in which the athletes cross the finish line (the torso), not just by the official published time.
When two competitors register the same time (in this case, both at 55:29), the timing system—usually electronic chips and/or photo finish—determines who crossed first.
The time is displayed rounded to the nearest second, but the actual difference can be hundredths or thousandths of a second. The head of refereeing uses all available technological evidence to decide the final order.
Only if it is impossible to separate the athletes is an official tie declared (same position, ordered by bib number). In Limón, the system determined that Chávez Sánchez crossed the line ahead of Fernández, so the Mexican received the gold and the Cuban the silver.
