Puerto Rico names flag bearers for Youth Olympic Games in Dakar
The Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico selected Esmeralda Butler in skateboarding and Steven Moreno Rivera in table tennis to lead a 30-athlete delegation competing in Senegal from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13.
File photoThe short version
- El Nuevo Día and Metro Puerto Rico reported that Esmeralda Butler and Steven Moreno Rivera were named flag bearers on Tuesday by the Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico
- The IV Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 will be the first Olympic event held in Africa with a Puerto Rican delegation of 30 athletes in 11 sports
- Butler won gold at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo with a score of 150.76
- Moreno Rivera earned three medals at the same games and previously served as flag bearer at the 2025 Junior Pan American Games
Announcement and delegation
The Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico (COPUR) announced on Tuesday the selection of Esmeralda Butler, a skateboarder, and Steven Moreno Rivera, a table tennis player, as the flag bearers for the Puerto Rican delegation at the IV Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026. El Nuevo Día reported the games are scheduled to take place from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13 in Senegal, marking the first Olympic sporting event on the African continent.
According to both El Nuevo Día and Metro Puerto Rico, the delegation will consist of 30 athletes competing in 11 sports. COPUR president Sara Rosario Vélez stated that carrying the Puerto Rican flag is one of the greatest honors an athlete can receive.
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Portar la bandera de Puerto Rico es uno de los honores más grandes que puede recibir un atleta. Es representar no solamente a una delegación, sino también los sueños, sacrificios y aspiraciones de todo un país.
Our translation: Carrying the flag of Puerto Rico is one of the greatest honors an athlete can receive. It is representing not only a delegation, but also the dreams, sacrifices and aspirations of an entire country.
The source's own statement, as quoted by COPUR press release. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Athletes' achievements
Butler earned a gold medal at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo with a score of 150.76, El Nuevo Día reported. Moreno Rivera won three medals at the same games and previously served as Puerto Rico's flag bearer at the 2025 Junior Pan American Games in Asunción.
Both outlets noted that the two athletes will lead a new generation of Puerto Rican competitors at the Dakar event. Rosario Vélez added that the pair has shown commitment, discipline and passion for their sports.
Where the sources differ
El Nuevo Día and Metro Puerto Rico agree on all key facts including the names of the flag bearers, the size of the delegation, the dates and location of the games, Butler's gold medal score, and Moreno Rivera's prior experience. Both outlets quote the same statement from COPUR president Sara Rosario Vélez. The only minor difference is that El Nuevo Día provides a slightly longer version of the president's remarks while Metro Puerto Rico uses a shorter excerpt; both sources rely on the same COPUR press release.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not specify which 11 sports the 30 athletes will compete in, the full list of delegation members, or any specific goals or medal targets set for the Puerto Rican team in Dakar. They also do not detail the selection process used to choose the two flag bearers or mention any support staff traveling with the athletes.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official Puerto Rico anuncia sus abanderados para los Juegos Olímpicos de la Juventud
- Reporting Puerto Rico anuncia sus abanderados para los Juegos Olímpicos de la Juventud
- Reporting Puerto Rico ya tiene sus abanderados para los IV Juegos Olímpicos de la Juventud
How we checked this
Both El Nuevo Día and Metro Puerto Rico based their coverage on the same official COPUR announcement and press release issued on Tuesday. Details about the athletes' recent successes at the Santo Domingo games rest on the committee's statements.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.