19.07.2026 | Cartago, Costa Rica. Nine athletes. Four hours and twenty minutes. One Central American record. In Costa Rica, „Pura Vida“ is more than a greeting, it’s a philosophy, a way of finding value in what you have rather than lamenting what you don’t. The Costa Rican Open 2026 was built on exactly that spirit: a smaller field than expected, a budget stretched to its limits, a livestream that required a last-minute pivot, and an organizing team of 13 people who covered the financial gap out of their own pockets to make sure the competition happened anyway. The result was a morning of serious Streetlifting, that everyone left talking about the quality of what they had just experienced.
Event Overview
Held at Avenida 04 Jiujitsu Cartago, the Costa Rican Open ran from 9:00 AM to 1:20 PM across five weight categories, three male and two female. With nine athletes on the platform and a crew of 13 covering every organizational role from judging to equipment transport, the event delivered a level of structure and professionalism that left a clear impression on everyone present.
The livestream, initially planned via YouTube with professional OBS setup, could not be executed due to technical limitations on the day and was rerouted to TikTok, a pragmatic solution that kept the event accessible online despite the constraint.
Highlights and Athletes Performance
The performance of the day came from Javier Mesén in the -87kg category, who broke the Central American squat record with 230kg, one of the most significant regional milestones the Costa Rican scene has produced. He also set a new dip record at 125kg in the same flight, completing a dominant performance from start to finish.
José David Torres continued his own ongoing record-setting run in the -73kg class, posting a 127.5kg dip for the third consecutive time at a Costa Rican Open, adding a 205kg squat record to his total for good measure. His consistency across multiple editions is a story of its own.
Walter García claimed victory in the -66kg category and was named MVP of the event, capping his win with a 165kg squat record, the kind of complete performance that earns that distinction.
On the women’s side, Raquel Álvarez won the -63kg class with a sweep of records across every single movement, a feat that speaks to both her level and the growing standard of female Streetlifting in Costa Rica. Lianeth Ocanto claimed the -70kg female title to complete the women’s podium.
Organizational Insights
Building a competition in Central America comes with a specific set of constraints that the Costa Rican organizing team understands better than anyone: calibrated equipment is harder to source, venues that meet international standards are more expensive relative to local economies, and a smaller athlete community means tighter financial margins on every edition. When registration fell short of the 15-athlete threshold expected from previous events, the team didn’t cancel or reduce the production level. They covered the gap themselves.
The structural change that helped most this edition was closing registration and fixing the payment deadline six weeks in advance, giving the team a clear financial picture and enough lead time to adapt. They also built redundancy into the staffing plan, ensuring no last-minute absence could derail the day.
The feedback from athletes reflected exactly what that effort produced:
„Despite having only nine athletes, the event was handled with the same level of seriousness and professionalism as if we had 25.“
For future editions, the priorities are clear: a higher-quality livestream and a proper competition stage with a large banner, bringing the visual standard of the event closer to what the European Opens produce.
Community Response & Future Outlook
Spectator and online response was positive throughout, with athletes praising the quality of judging, the improved equipment, and the photos and video coverage of attempts, details that matter and that the team invested in deliberately.
Looking ahead, the organizing team is planning a series of Classic-format events, three or four competitions at different locations across Costa Rica, designed to bring in beginner and intermediate athletes and grow the base of the community. It is the kind of grassroots work that makes everything else possible further down the line.
Conclusion
The Costa Rican Open 2026 was not the biggest event of the season. But it may have been one of the most honest. Nine athletes, a team that put their own money on the line, records broken at a regional level, and a room that left with nothing to complain about. That is Pura Vida Streetlifting.
The sport is growing in Central America. Slowly, deliberately, and on its own terms.
We’re proud to be part of this journey. Until next time — Let’s keep pushing the limits together!
- Event Host: @jungleking_sl
- Main Athletes Involved: @javiermeseng, @vi_calisthenics, @garciagonzalezcoah, @raque2442, @fisio_lianneth
- Main Sponsors Involved: @drasanvi, @activ_zen, @petroskifamilyco, @kingofweighted
— Your FinalRep Team 
