The 84 kg division freestyle wrestling silver medal secured by Jaime Yusept Espinal Fajardo at the 2012 London Summer Olympics represented a milestone as the first Olympic medal in the sport for Puerto Rico. Born in Santo Domingo in 1984, Espinal moved with his family to Puerto Rico at age five, eventually adopting dual citizenship.
Early Development and Relocation
Espinal, the son of Jaime Felix Espinal and Alejandrina Fajardo Hernández, began wrestling at nine under coach Pedro Rojas at Club Sparta in Río Piedras. After relocating to Brooklyn, New York, at age 15, he faced significant social challenges before returning to Puerto Rico. During this period, he engaged in cheerleading, dancing, and breakdancing, performing under the name Olimpic Jumps for the Time Machine Squad and backing artists such as Daddy Yankee and Tego Calderón.
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Encouraged by Pedro Rojas, Espinal returned to competitive wrestling to prepare for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayagüez, where he earned a gold medal following a nine-month training program in Cuba. In 2011, he finished fifth at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara and took silver at the Pan American Wrestling Qualifying Tournament in Florida. By 2012, he secured further wins at the Città di Sassari Championship in Italy and qualified for the Olympics in Kissimmee.
Olympic Appearances
At the 2012 London Olympics, Espinal defeated opponents from Nigeria and Georgia before beating Belarus’s Soslan Gattsiev to reach the final. He took silver after a 3–1 loss to Azerbaijan’s Sharif Sharifov. Four years later, at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, he served as the flag bearer for Puerto Rico. He competed in the 86 kg division but was eliminated in the first round by Turkey’s Selim Yaşar and subsequently defeated in the repechage by Cuba’s Reineris Salas.
Fast facts
- Full name: Jaime Yusept Espinal Fajardo
- Born: October 14, 1984, Santo Domingo
- Sport: Freestyle wrestling
- 2012 Olympic result: Silver medal (84 kg)
- 2016 Olympic role: Puerto Rico flag bearer
- Education: Bachelor's degree in computer design, Walden University
- Partner: Jane Valencia
- Children: Joy Espinal Valencia (born May 31, 2017)
Questions readers ask
Was Jaime Espinal the first Olympic medalist from Puerto Rico?
No, he became the first Puerto Rican Olympic medalist in wrestling, and the second person to win a silver medal for Puerto Rico, following boxer Luis Francisco Ortiz in 1984.
What other activities did Espinal pursue besides wrestling?
He was a breakdancer for the Time Machine Squad, a cheerleader at the University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón, a baseball player, and a model.
Achievements
- Competed at wrestling at the 2012 Summer Olympics – men's freestyle 84 kg and wrestling at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Discipline: wrestling
