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Athletes from the Lake Chapala region and the municipality of Jocotepec delivered outstanding performances at the 2026 CONADE National Olympics, winning gold, silver, and bronze medals that helped the Jalisco delegation claim the title of national champion.
The region’s gold medal haul began with cyclist Tadeo Rayo Gama, a native of San Juan Cosalá in the municipality of Jocotepec, who earned the highest honor by winning gold in the team pursuit. Meanwhile, the municipality of Chapala also added a national championship thanks to charro Iker Yahel Casillas Pérez, who was crowned with the team gold medal in the Youth B category of charrería (Mexican-style rodeo).
Silver medals for lakeside talent arrived in demanding team and individual disciplines. Chapala soccer player Ellie Guizar led the Jalisco under-15 women’s team as captain and starter, securing the national runner-up title. Climber Eloy Barragán also won the silver medal in the sport climbing discipline within the under-17 category.
Two outstanding third-place finishes rounded out the podium for the region. Chapala runner Mayte González earned the bronze medal in the 5,000-meter (3.1-mile) track event in the under-20 category, while sailor Emiliano Villaseñor claimed another bronze medal in sailing, specifically in the ILCA 7 class—the standard Olympic single-handed sailboat.
The dedication of these young athletes contributed to the historic success of the Jalisco delegation. Following the conclusion of the competitions on June 2, Jalisco established itself as Mexico’s undisputed leader by accumulating 1,116 medals in total: 501 gold, 320 silver, and 295 bronze. With this result, the state marked 25 consecutive years in first place in the competition organized by the National Physical Culture and Sport Commission (CONADE).
In this multi-venue edition, which began April 14 with Puebla as the main host and concluded in Nayarit and Tlaxcala, Jalisco competed with a contingent of 2,300 athletes across 54 disciplines. The state won 24 of these sports and placed among the top three spots in 39 categories, easily defeating its closest rivals, Nuevo León and Baja California.
Translated and edited by Bruce Bernhart
