# 1979 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics

The 1979 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics were held at the Estadio Revolución in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico 15–17 June 1979.

## Medal summary
### Men's events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 metres | Guy Abrahams Panama | 10.37A | Gerardo Suero Dominican Republic | 10.53A | Esteban Briceño Venezuela | 10.54A |
| 200 metres | Floyd Brown Jamaica | 21.30A | Rafael López Dominican Republic | 21.33A | Jesús Cabrera Puerto Rico Tomás González Cuba | 21.45A |
| 400 metres | Colin Bradford Jamaica | 46.41A | Michael Barnes Jamaica | 46.84A | Dean Greenaway British Virgin Islands | 47.12A |
| 800 metres | Owen Hamilton Jamaica | 1:48.2A | Eduardo Castro Mexico | 1:48.3A | Víctor Ramos Puerto Rico | 1:49.7A |
| 1500 metres | Ignacio Melecio Mexico | 3:48.1A | Osmán Escobar Venezuela | 3:50.5A | Modesto Comprés Dominican Republic | 3:54.7A |
| 5000 metres | José Gómez Mexico | 14:27.4A | Jaime Vélez Puerto Rico | 14:43.0A | Lucirio Garrido Venezuela | 14:50.4A |
| 10,000 metres | Virgilio Herrera Guatemala | 31:42.8A | Luis Haro Mexico | 32:04.6A | Celso Garro Costa Rica | 32:48.8A |
| 30 km road race | Mario Cuevas Mexico | 1:26:24A CR | Radamés González Cuba | 1:27:35A | Andrés Romero Mexico | 1:27:38A |
| 110 metres hurdles | Rafael Echavarría Mexico | 13.93A | Jorge Palacios Cuba | 13.94A | Mariano Reyes Dominican Republic | 14.20A |
| 400 metres hurdles | Julio Ferrer Puerto Rico | 51.4A | Carlos Yambot Puerto Rico | 51.4A | Rafael Echavarría Mexico | 51.5A |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | Demetrio Cabanillos Mexico | 9:18.6A | Lucirio Garrido Venezuela | 9:18.7A | Octavio Guadarrama Mexico | 9:22.6A |
| 4 × 100 metres relay | Dominican Republic Gregorio García Esteban Vázquez Rafael Felix Gerardo Suero | 40.02A | Jamaica Raymond Quarrie Dennis Henry Floyd Brown Colin Bradford | 40.17A | Puerto Rico Luis Alers Iván Mangual Jesús Cabrera Wilfredo Molina | 40.72A |
| 4 × 400 metres relay | Jamaica Dennis Henry Colin Bradford Michael Barnes Owen Hamilton | 3:05.0A CR | Venezuela Hipolito Brown Edison Reyes Humberto Galea Erick Phillips | 3:08.9A | Dominican Republic Francisco Solis Anatalio Ramírez Gill Fortuna Rafael Felix | 3:11.9A |
| 20 km road walk | Félix Gómez Mexico | 1:28:21A CR | Ernesto Canto Mexico | 1:28:53A | Rigoberto Medina Cuba | 1:34:41A |
| High jump | Jorge Alfaro Cuba | 2.25A CR | Cristóbal de León Dominican Republic | 2.17A | Rodolfo Madrigal Costa Rica | 2.12A |
| Pole vault | Rubén Camino Cuba | 5.05A CR | Edgardo Rivera Puerto Rico | 4.60A | | |
| Long jump | Ray Quiñones Puerto Rico | 7.70A | Oswaldo Torres Venezuela | 7.61A | Ubaldo Duany Cuba | 7.30A |
| Triple jump | Ricardo Goitizolo Cuba | 15.97A | José Salazar Venezuela | 15.81A | Edgar Moreno Venezuela | 15.54A |
| Shot put | Nicolás Hernández Cuba | 18.49A CR | Bradley Cooper Bahamas | 18.35A | Humberto Calvario Cuba | 17.46A |
| Discus throw | José Santa Cruz Cuba | 62.48A CR | Bradley Cooper Bahamas | 61.24A | Luis Palacios Venezuela | 49.70A |
| Hammer throw | Alfredo Guillot Cuba | 62.10A | Ángel Cabrera Cuba | 58.52A | Luis Martínez Puerto Rico | 54.44A |
| Javelin throw | Reinaldo Patterson Cuba | 82.24A CR | Amado Morales Puerto Rico | 77.70A | Dionisio Quintana Cuba | 76.58A |
| Decathlon | Carlos Palacios Cuba | 6882A | Juan Ríos Venezuela | 6716A | Pedro Herrera Cuba | 6525A |

### Women's events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 metres | Lelieth Hodges Jamaica | 11.64A | Rosie Allwood Jamaica | 11.79A | Darcy Bryant Costa Rica | 11.96A |
| 200 metres | Merlene Ottey Jamaica | 23.44A CR | Elsa Antúnez Venezuela | 24.34A | Divina Estrella Dominican Republic | 24.41A |
| 400 metres | Debbie Byfield Jamaica | 54.29A | Carol Cummings Jamaica | 54.92A | Nancy Calveart Cuba | 55.02A |
| 800 metres | María Ribeaux Cuba | 2:09.0A | Eloína Kerr Cuba | 2:09.3A | Ana Orendaín Mexico | 2:11.0A |
| 1500 metres | Melquises Fonseca Cuba | 4:40.0A | Sergia Martínez Cuba | 4:41.2A | Angelita Lind Puerto Rico | 4:42.4A |
| 3000 metres | Melquises Fonseca Cuba | 10:06.6A | Rosa Domínguez Mexico | 10:11.8A | Irma Hernández Mexico | 10:15.0A |
| 100 metres hurdles | Lorlee Giscombe Jamaica | 14.28A | Marisela Peralta Dominican Republic | 14.44A | Maritza de la Guardia Cuba | 14.84A |
| 400 metres hurdles | Marcela Chivás Cuba | 59.78A CR | Stephanie Vega Puerto Rico | 60.21A | Divina Estrella Dominican Republic | 62.43A |
| 4 × 100 metres relay | Jamaica Lelieth Hodges Dorothy Scott Rosie Allwood Merlene Ottey | 44.82A CR | Dominican Republic Felicia Candelario Divina Estrella Teresa Almanzar Ana Hotesse | 46.79A | Puerto Rico Georgina López Nilsa París Marie-Lande Mathieu Madeline de Jesús | 47.16A |
| 4 × 400 metres relay | Cuba Nancy Calveart Eloína Kerr María Ribeaux Marcela Chibás | 3:41.8A | Jamaica Fredricka Wright Carol Cummings Debbie Byfield Rosie Allwood | 3:42.8A | Venezuela Arelis Pulvet Yaneth Carvajal Elsa Antúnez Adriana Marchena | 3:45.9A |
| High jump | Silvia Costa Cuba | 1.80A | Elisa Ávila Mexico | 1.78A | Reina Mateu Cuba | 1.76A |
| Long jump | Emilia Lenk Mexico | 5.90A | Madeline de Jesús Puerto Rico | 5.87A | Odalys Herrera Cuba | 5.79A |
| Shot put | Rosa Fernández Cuba | 17.88A CR | Marcelina Rodríguez Cuba | 17.80A | Patricia Andrus Venezuela | 13.46A |
| Discus throw | Salvadora Vargas Cuba | 55.30A CR | Maritza Martén Cuba | 50.22A | Laura Aguiñaga Mexico | 44.90A |
| Javelin throw | Ana María González Cuba | 54.16A CR | Mayra Vila Cuba | 49.36A | Martha Blanco Mexico | 44.88A |
| Pentathlon | María Ángeles Cato Mexico | 3907A | Elida Aveillé Cuba | 3840A | Ansis Salazar Cuba | 3618A |
A = affected by altitude

## Medal table

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Cuba (CUB) | 17 | 9 | 10 | 36 |
| 2 | Jamaica (JAM) | 9 | 5 | 0 | 14 |
| 3 | Mexico (MEX) | 8 | 5 | 7 | 20 |
| 4 | Puerto Rico (PUR) | 2 | 6 | 6 | 14 |
| 5 | Dominican Republic (DOM) | 1 | 5 | 5 | 11 |
| 6 | Guatemala (GUA) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Panama (PAN) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Venezuela (VEN) | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| 9 | Bahamas (BAH) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Costa Rica (CRC) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 11 | British Virgin Islands (IVB) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (11 entries) | Totals (11 entries) | 39 | 39 | 38 | 116 |