Luis Castro (athlete)

{{Short description|Puerto Rican high jumper (born 1991)}}

{{family name hatnote|Castro|Rivera|lang=Spanish}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| image =

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|OLY}}{{cite web |url=https://www.instagram.com/luisjohighjump |title=Luis Joel Castro Rivera, OLY |access-date=August 8, 2024 |via=Instagram}}

| caption =

| full_name = Luis Joel Castro Rivera

| nationality = Puerto Rican

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|1|29}}

| birth_place = Carolina, Puerto Rico

| height = 6 ft 5 in

| weight = 161 lb

| country = {{PUR}}

| sport = Athletics

| event = High jump

| coach = Gaspar Epro, † Wolfgang Ritzdorf, Carlos Acosta

| pb =

{{ubl

| High jump: 2.30 m {{AthAbbr|NR|Puerto_Rican}}

| High jump (indoor): 2.26 m {{AthAbbr|NR|Puerto_Rican}}

}}

| medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Sport | Men's athletics}}{{Medal|Country|{{PUR}}}}

{{Medal|Competition|Pan American Games}}

{{Medal|Silver|2023 Santiago|High jump}}

{{Medal|Competition|Central American and Caribbean Games}}

{{Medal|Gold|2023 El Salvador|High jump}}

{{Medal|Competition|Ibero-American Championships}}

{{Medal|Gold|2014 Sao Paolo|High jump}}

{{Medal|Competition|NACAC U23 Championships}}

{{Medal|Silver|2012 Irapuato|High jump}}

}}

Luis Joel Castro Rivera (born January 29, 1991) is a Puerto Rican track and field athlete who specializes in high jump. A graduate of the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, he made his debut at the 2011 Grand Prix Ximena Restrepo in Medellín, Colombia, where he placed 3rd.{{cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/luis-castro-rivera_1537168 |title=CASTRO RIVERA Luis |work=Paris 2024 Olympics}} He also participated in the final of the 2016 Summer Olympics finishing 13th{{cite web |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/luis-castro |title=Luis Joel Castro |accessdate=August 14, 2016 |work=Rio2016.com |publisher=Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games |archive-date=August 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816033623/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/luis-castro |url-status=dead}} and in the final of the 2019 World Championships reaching the 12th place. He won the gold medal at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games with 2.25 m and a silver medal at the 2023 Pan American Games with 2.24 m.

On 21 May 2023, he jumped the current Puerto Rican national record with 2.30 m in Garbsen, Germany. He also holds the national indoor record with 2.26 m (29 January 2019 in Cologne, Germany). On 7 Aug 2024, Castro Rivera competed in the Men's High Jump Qualification at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where he finished in 15th place.