Jamaica’s dominance in youth athletics was emphatically affirmed as the women’s 4×100-meter relay team captured the Best Women’s Team honor at the 2025 Panam Sports Junior Awards, following a continent-wide public vote.
The recognition places Jamaica at the center of Pan American junior sport, celebrating a performance that combined speed, poise, and record-breaking excellence.
After 20 days of voting and more than 45,000 ballots cast across the Americas, Panam Sports officially unveiled the winners of its annual Junior Awards, honoring the most outstanding young athletes and teams of 2025. The awardees will receive their formal recognition at the next Panam Sports General Assembly, scheduled for the first half of 2026.
Fans decide the continent’s best
The online vote closed on Sunday at 11:59 p.m., bringing an end to weeks of anticipation and engagement from sports fans throughout the region. Panam Sports President Neven Ilic praised the response and the spirit of the process.
“We are very happy and proud of the excellent response and participation of the people in these Panam Sports Junior Awards, who chose the best junior athletes of 2025. I congratulate the deserving winners, but also all those who were nominated in each of the categories. They are all winners and deserve our respect and admiration,” said Ilic.
Jamaica’s golden quartet sets the standard
Jamaica’s women’s 4×100-meter relay team secured 24.10 percent of the vote to win Best Women’s Team, following a commanding performance at the ASU 2025 Pan American Junior Games. Anchored by Team Panam Sports ambassador and World Under-20 champion Alana Reid, the quartet delivered gold in 43.51 seconds, establishing a new Pan American Junior Games record.
The victory reinforced Jamaica’s long-standing reputation as the sprint capital of the world and highlighted the country’s ability to transition excellence seamlessly into the next generation.
Guatemala’s Bonilla claims top male honor
Guatemalan swimmer Roberto Bonilla emerged as Best Junior Male Athlete, capturing 23.09 percent of the vote after an exceptional showing at ASU 2025. Bonilla won gold in both the 200-meter breaststroke and the 200-meter individual medley, breaking the Junior Pan American Games record twice.
His time of 2:12.60 minutes in the breaststroke not only set a new standard but also earned him qualification for the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima.
Ecuador’s rising star lifts her way to the top
Ecuadorian weightlifter Jessica Palacios was voted Best Junior Female Athlete with 24.16 percent of the ballots. The youngest of the Dajomes-Palacios sisters, Palacios dominated her category at ASU 2025, winning gold while setting two Junior Pan American Games records, 100 kilograms in the snatch and 222 kilograms in the Olympic total.
Her performance secured both continental acclaim and a place at Lima 2027, marking her as one of Ecuador’s brightest sporting prospects.
Brazil’s handball supremacy recognized
Brazil’s men’s handball team was named Best Men’s Team, collecting 34.80 percent of the vote after a flawless campaign at ASU 2025. Brazil defeated Mexico, Chile, the United States, and Paraguay en route to the final, where they edged Argentina 29-27 to secure gold and continental supremacy.
The Sports Achievement Award went to Mexican divers Mía and Lía Cueva, who earned 21.40 percent of the vote. Fresh from winning bronze at the senior World Championships in Singapore, the twins traveled to Asunción and delivered another elite performance, claiming gold in the 3-meter synchronized springboard and qualifying for Lima 2027.
Mexico also claimed the Influencer Athlete Award, with heptathlete Valeria Páez receiving 53.35 percent of the vote. Páez documented her ASU 2025 journey across social media platforms, engaging more than 330,000 followers and drawing millions of interactions through behind-the-scenes content, competition highlights, and team presentations.
A moment of sportsmanship that captured hearts
Puerto Rico’s Gladymar Torres was honored with the Fair Play Award, earning 51.97 percent of the vote for a gesture that resonated across the sporting world. During the women’s 100-meter final at ASU 2025, Torres embraced teammate Frances Colón after Colón was awarded the bronze medal following a photo finish, celebrating the result as if it were her own.
The moment, which unfolded alongside Jamaica’s Serena Cole in a tightly contested final, went viral and became a defining image of sportsmanship at the Games.
A continental celebration of youth sport
Panam Sports President Neven Ilic, the Executive Committee, and the wider Pan American sporting family extended congratulations to all winners and nominees, while thanking fans across the region for their enthusiastic participation.
For Jamaica, the honor reaffirmed the nation’s enduring excellence and its powerful presence in shaping the future of sport across the Americas.
