For the past several years, boxing has remained the top choice of sports for Puerto Ricans, along with baseball and basketball. Puerto Ricans have a strong tradition of road running races. Many important racing events are held every year on the island, including the Marathon de San Blas in Coamo and the Ponce Marathon.

Aristedes Gonzales, of Puerto Rico, boxes Joon-Sup Shin of South Korea during the 1984 Summer Olympics Aristedes Gonzales, of Puerto Rico, boxes Joon-Sup Shin of South Korea during the 1984 Summer Olympics

Puerto Ricans have been strong in both amateur and professional in boxing. Nero Chen became the first Puerto Rican professional boxer to gain international recognition. Puerto Rico was also the site of many championship fights.

Other notable Puerto Rican boxers include Wilfredo Gomez, Félix "Tito" Trinidad, Miguel Cotto, Wilfred Benítez, Héctor "Macho" Camacho, Edwin "El Chapo" Rosario, and Carlos Ortíz. Juan Evangelista Venegas Trinidad was a Puerto Rican boxer notable for winning Puerto Rico's first Olympic medal.

Other well-known sports in Puerto Rico include American football, baseball, fencing and horse racing.

The 1948 Summer Olympics in London is a remarkable event for Puerto Ricans because it was the very first time that they would participate as a country in a major international sports competition and the 1988 Winter Olympics was held in Alberta, Canada was the first time that a Puerto Rican team was sent to represent the island in an Olympic ski competition.

Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Puerto Rico. Is there something missing? If you know of something that should be listed here, please let us know.

Popular sports of Puerto Rico

  • Baseball, basketball, boxing, road running, American football, football (soccer), tennis

Puerto Rico Sporting Success

  • Mónica Puig won the first Olympic gold medal for Puerto Rico
  • Puerto Rico won 1 silver and 2 bronze medals at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics
  • Puerto Rico also won 1 gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won gold in the 100m hurdles at the 2020 Summer Olympics
  • Puerto Rico won 1 gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Great athletes from Puerto Rico

  • Nero Chen (boxing)
  • Monica Puig (tennis)
  • Javier Pérez (track and field)
  • Juan Félix "Tito" Trinidad (boxing)
  • Roberto Clemente (baseball)
  • Rebekah Colberg (track and field)
  • Jasmine Camacho-Quinn

Puerto Rico Sports trivia

  • The 1948 Summer Olympics in London was the first time that they participated as a country in a major international sports competition.
  • The first Puerto Rican woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal was Monica Puig. She won the gold medal in the women's singles tennis tournament at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Puerto Rico at major events

Past sporting events hosted in Puerto Rico

  • Various boxing championship fights throughout history
  • Baseball World Classic games at Estadio Hiram Bithorn

Upcoming sporting events in Puerto Rico

  • Monster Jam - This event will be held at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico on the 31st of October 2025.
  • Harlem Globetrotters - This event will also be held at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 8th of November 2025.
  • Puerto Rico Open - This event will be held at the Grand Reserve Golf Club in Río Grande, Puerto Rico.
  • World Baseball Classic - Pool A (Panama vs Cuba) - This event will be held at the Estadio Hiram Bithorn in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Annual sporting events held in Puerto Rico

  • Marathon de San Blas in Coamo
  • Ponce Marathon - held in December each year

Sporting Facilities in Puerto Rico

  • Puerto Rico Convention Center
  • Coliseum of Puerto Rico
  • San Juan Natatorium
  • Bayamon Soccer Complex
  • Honda Tennis Center
  • Jose Figueroa Freyre Stadium