Costa Rican athlete Rhiana Mora Saint Rius captured a spectacular gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the U-20 Ibero-American Athletics Championships. In addition to securing the top spot on the podium, the 16-year-old phenom shattered a long-standing national record.

Mora, whose father is Costa Rican and mother is Haitian, crossed the finish line with a remarkable time of 13.67 seconds. Her performance broke the previous category record of 13.72 seconds, which had been held by world-class Costa Rican athlete Andrea Vargas Mena since 2014.

Brazil’s Beatriz Camargo Monteiro took home the silver medal with a time of 13.96 seconds, while Chile’s Leonor Ferreiro Hurtado claimed the bronze at 14.21 seconds.

A Rising Star in Central American Athletics

Hailing from the Osa canton in Puntarenas, Mora is enjoying an extraordinary breakout year. Prior to her historic run in Peru, she claimed the title of Central American Athletics Champion in the 100-meter hurdles and was named the most outstanding athlete at the Limón 2026 National Games.

The gold medal marks Mora’s second podium finish of the weekend tournament, following her bronze medal win in the 100-meter flat sprint with a time of 11.58 seconds.

Reflecting on her journey and her connection to her home country, Mora previously shared:

“I was born in Haiti, but I moved to Costa Rica with my family after the earthquake. I have been practicing athletics since I was seven years old. Costa Rica is a very beautiful country, and honestly, I feel more Costa Rican than Haitian.”

More Medals for Team Costa Rica

Mora’s gold was part of a highly successful weekend for the Costa Rican delegation, which brought home a total of four medals.

Alajuela native Antonella Lanuza Alfaro opened the medal count for the country by securing a bronze medal in the 1,500-meter flat race with a time of 4 minutes and 33.98 seconds.

Additionally, pole vaulter Norma Canossa reached the podium in her event. Canossa cleared a height of 3.30 meters, successfully locking down a third-place finish and earning a bronze medal in a competitive field of six athletes.

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