John McCarthy
By: Virgin Islands Free Press Sports Desk
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Virgin Islands Police Department Officer Cindy Claudio showed immense grit and championship heart on Thursday night, battling through a tough semifinal matchup against Guatemala’s María Chiroy at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games.
Competing in the Women’s 65kg division at the Centro Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte, Claudio stepped into the ring facing a relentless opponent in Chiroy.
After a grueling opening round where Chiroy took the early upper hand on the judges’ scorecards, Claudio continued to press forward in the second round. The referee ultimately called a stop to the contest early in Round 2, awarding the victory to Chiroy and advancing the Guatemalan fighter to the gold medal match.
A Historic Podium Finish for the Territory
Despite the stoppage, Claudio’s campaign in Santo Domingo ends in triumph. Under international tournament boxing rules, both losing semifinalists are awarded podium finishes—officially securing a Bronze Medal for Officer Claudio and Team Virgin Islands.
Her path to the podium was anchored by a decisive victory over Puerto Rico’s Victoria Vélez earlier in the week, assuring the USVI of a medal before Thursday’s bout even began.
While early public updates from local law enforcement mistakenly called for community support for a “silver” or “bronze fight,” the reality on the canvas is even better news for the territory: Officer Claudio doesn’t have to fight again to bring home hardware—the Bronze Medal is already locked in and coming home to St. Thomas.
Claudio’s performance marks a proud moment for both the VIPD and the entire U.S. Virgin Islands community, proving that wearing the badge and stepping into the international sports arena take equal measures of discipline, bravery, and heart.
