Governor Aristoteles Sandoval has welcomed home the athletes from Jalisco who represented Mexico in the 23rd Central American and Caribbean Games that wrapped up in Barranquilla, Colombia, on August 3.

Athletes from this state won an astonishing 87 of the 341 medals obtained by the Mexican team during the three-week multi-sport event – just over one-quarter of the total.

Mexico headed the medal table at the games by a clear margin, winning 132 gold, 118 silver and 91 bronze medals. Their nearest rival, Cuba, picked up 102 gold medals, followed by hosts Colombia with 79. In total, 31 nations participated in the games.

The tally for Jalisco athletes was 37 golds, 22 silvers and 28 bronzes.

“You set an example for the nation,” Sandoval gushed at the ceremony held at Casa Jalisco, his official residence. “You have showed us that we can move on from being the “Yes we can” (Si se puede) generation of Mexicans to the “Yes we did it” generation. That is contagious.”

Jalisco athletes consistently head the medal tables in domestic  multi-sport championships, including the Olimpiada Nacional (both senior and junior), organized annually by the National Sports Commission (Conade).