Olympic medalists Mónica Puig and Jaime Espinal lead the 2026 class of the Puerto Rican Sports Hall of Fame, announced on Monday. They will be inducted on November 22 at the Ramón Emeterio Betances Convention Center in Cabo Rojo, along with seven other figures: Vanessa García (swimming), Benito Santiago (baseball), Carmelo Martínez (baseball), Javier Antonio 'Toñito' Colón (basketball), Juan 'Pucho' Figueroa (basketball referee), Margaret de Jesús (athletics), and Jorge Sosa (sports promoter).
Puig, the first Olympic champion in Puerto Rico's history, won the gold medal in singles at the 2016 Rio Olympics and was a top figure in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tour. Espinal won the silver medal in the 84kg division at the 2012 London Olympics. Yadier Molina, a former MLB catcher, was initially included but declined due to professional commitments. The induction ceremony will take place at 11:00 a.m. on November 22.