Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, June 21, 2026 – Puerto Vallarta athletes Francisca Rosario Pelayo Fuentes and Antonio Lamas Ávalos helped Mexico turn a world championship in Bulgaria into a local sports milestone.
Pelayo, known locally as Chayito, won gold in the 100 meters and helped Mexico take gold in the 4×100, mixed 4×200, and 4×400 relays. She also added silver in the 200 meters and bronze in the long jump.
Lamas, known locally as Toño, won gold with Mexico’s men’s 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams. He also earned bronze in the 200 meters.
A local medal haul inside a national team win
The results came at the BAUHAUS Down Syndrome World Championships Bulgaria 2026, held in Sofia from June 13 to 19. The championships brought together athletes in athletics, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, tennis, and table tennis.
For Mexico, the Puerto Vallarta medals were part of a larger team result. Mexico finished the athletics competition with 31 medals and first place by teams, a national finish built through both individual performances and relay depth.
Pelayo contributed across sprint, relay, and field events. Lamas contributed to both individual sprinting and Mexico’s relay victories. In a meet where team results depend on repeated performances, Puerto Vallarta’s athletes gave Mexico points in several places.
Why this championship is different
The Sofia event is not a ceremonial competition. It is part of a specialized international sports system for athletes with Down syndrome, organized around competitive standards and fairer classification.
The Sports Union for athletes with Down Syndrome exists to promote sport for athletes with Down syndrome at the “highest levels of sporting excellence.” These events are built around performance, training, classification, travel, pressure, and results.
Pelayo and Lamas competed in a world-level athletics program at Sofia’s Vasil Levski National Stadium, where the schedule included sprints, relays, long jump, throws, race walking, and triathlon.
Their medals came from track events that require timing, starts, exchanges, conditioning, and team chemistry. Relay medals especially depend on multiple fast runners. They depend on clean handoffs and athletes who can hold form under pressure.
Puerto Vallarta’s growing sports footprint
Puerto Vallarta’s sports stories are often told through tourism events, beach tournaments, or large public competitions. This result belongs in a different category.
Pelayo and Lamas came through adapted sport, where families, coaches, municipal support, and long training cycles often carry athletes further than public attention does. Their success shows the city’s sports base is wider than the events most residents see on the Malecón or at the beach.
The result also came during a strong stretch for local athletes. Earlier this month, Puerto Vallarta gymnasts returned with 75 medals in Jalisco, another sign that local sports programs are producing results beyond the city.
The difference here is the stage. Pelayo and Lamas were competing in Europe, wearing Mexico’s colors, in a championship built for athletes from around the world.
The athletes’ return quickly became a local celebration. Family members, supporters, and municipal officials welcomed them back in Puerto Vallarta after a trip that turned months of training into medals.
