Santo Domingo. – Olympic and world judoka
Juan Carlos Jacinto will enter the
Dominican Sports Hall of Fame in the Class of 2025, becoming the
sixth judo athlete to achieve sports immortality in the country.
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The choice of Jacinto was announced by Dr.
Dionisio Guzmán, president of the Permanent Committee of the Hall of Fame, as part of the
59th Exaltation Ceremony, which will be held on Sunday, November 16, in the auditorium of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.
An Exemplary Career
Jacinto, born in San Cristóbal on June 2, 1978, represented the national judo team for
14 years, achieving historic results for the discipline:
- Only Dominican judoka to participate in three Olympic Games (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008).
- Competitor in four World Championships.
- Double silver medalist in Central American and Caribbean Games.
- Bronze medalist in the Pan American Games of Winnipeg 1999.
- Winner of 15 continental medals, nine in individual and six in teams.
At the local level, he accumulated multiple national and military titles, establishing himself as a reference and captain both in the national team and in the
Dominican Navy.
A New Judo Immortal
Jacinto will join a select list of judokas inducted into the Hall of Fame:
Radhamés Lora (1992), Juan Chalas (2003), Dulce María Piña (2012), Andrea Hernández (2014), José Vicbart Geraldino (2018) and Eleucadia Vargas (2022).
2025 Hall of Fame Class
The former athlete will share the ceremony with other already confirmed honorees: the promoters
Gonzalo Mejía (tennis) and
Beato Miguel Cruz (volleyball); the boxer
Joan Guzmán; and former Major League Baseball players
José Reyes, Edwin Encarnación and José Offerman.
The event will have businessman and sportsman
Manuel Estrella as honorary president.
