Mexicali martial artist wins gold

Taekwondo fighter Leslie Soltero, of Mexicali, won gold Saturday in the Dominican Open in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Soltero won in the 67-kilogram division.

Soltero, who has been Pan American champion in the youth division and runner-up in the major division, first defeated her Argentinean rival in quarterfinals and a Canadian fighter in semifinals.

In the championship fight, she defeated Milena Titoneli, of Brazil.

Titoneli previously defeated Soltero in the finals of the Pan American Championship.

Soltero earned 20 points in the world rankings that help determine the qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympics.