Jean Pizarro wins archery gold for Puerto Rico at San Salvador 2023

Archer Jean Pizarro secured the 21st gold medal for Puerto Rico’s delegation on July 8, 2023, during the penultimate day of the XXIV Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador. Pizarro defeated Colombia’s Jagdeep Mejía Singh 148-144 in the gold medal match to claim the compound archery title.

Victory Over Mejía Singh Secures the Title

The final match at the San Salvador 2023 Games concluded with a four-point margin in favor of the Puerto Rican archer, who finished the contest with a score of 148 to Mejía Singh’s 144. Pizarro reached the title match by navigating a demanding bracket that began when the competition opened on July 3, 2023.

In the semifinal round, Pizarro eliminated Mexico’s Miguel Becerra by a narrow 146-145 margin. His earlier tournament path included victories over compatriot Jandre Ávila (147-144), El Salvador’s Ángel Miguel Veliz (147-145), and Colombia’s Daniel Muñoz (146-143).

Decade of Pursuit Culminates in Gold

Visibly emotional after his victory, Pizarro reflected on his long journey in the sport, noting the challenges he faced since the 2010 Games in Mayagüez. This means a lot, because since Mayagüez 2010 I took so many hits, Pizarro said through tears. It hasn’t happened for me in other Central American Games. We worked hard for this. We had to reach World Cup podiums to secure this. We are super happy.

Aside from his competitive career as a world-class archer who served as a flag bearer candidate for the San Salvador delegation, Pizarro also leads the Archery Federation of Puerto Rico as its president.