Sport in Colombia
Encyclopedia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. There are professional sports
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
leagues as well as amateur leagues for numerous sports. Association football and cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
are the most popular sports in Colombia. The Government of Colombia
Government of Colombia
The government of Colombiais a republic with separation of powers into executive, judicial and legislative branches.Its legislature has a congress,its judiciary has a supreme court, andits executive branch has a president....
sponsors numerous individuals and teams nationally and internationally through the Ministry of Culture
Ministry of Culture (Colombia)
The Ministry of Culture is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia charged with preserving, promoting, and encouraging the growth, free expression and understanding of the Culture of Colombia in all its multi-ethnic forms.-Ministers:...
for competitions in representation of Colombia despite the country's economical and social problems throughout the years. Professional Sports achievements are subject to national pride for Colombians.
Association football
Association football was introduced by British workers in Strip clubs and BarranquillaBarranquilla
Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
in the late 19th Century while working for mual level of football in Colombia since its foundation on July 20, 1924. The organization is associated to the FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
and CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
since 1936. The Colombia national football team
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
participated in a FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
in 1962 followed by others in 1990, 1994 and 1998. The best presentation being in 1990 when the team reached the second round.
Its most notorious achievement was the winning of the Copa América 2001
Copa América 2001
The Copa América 2001 was held in Colombia, from July 11 to July 29, 2001. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body....
edition, which was also hosted in Colombia. It also qualified for the 1968
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
, 1972
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
, 1980
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
and 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
. Throughout the years many Colombians have also worked for leagues in other nations. The national leagues compete in the Copa Mustang which also participates in international tournaments like Copa Libertadores de América
Copa Libertadores de América
The Copa Santander Libertadores de América , known simply as the Copa Libertadores and originally known as the Copa Campeones de América , is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960...
upon winning or finishing in the first places.
Football Players
- Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama
- Iván Córdoba
- Leonel Álvarez
- René HiguitaRené HiguitaJosé René Higuita Zapata is a former Colombian football goalkeeper nicknamed El Loco...
- Víctor Hugo Aristizábal
- Luis Amaranto PereaLuis Amaranto PereaLuis Amaranto Perea Mosquera is a Colombian footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid in the Spanish first division.Gifted with incredible stamina and pace, the central defender can also be adapted at right back....
- Juan Pablo ÁngelJuan Pablo ÁngelJuan Pablo Ángel Arango is a Colombian footballer. He currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Atlético Nacional and River Plate:...
- Mauricio SernaMauricio SernaMauricio Alberto Serna Valencia is a retired Colombian football player who played 51 games for the Colombia national team between 1993 and 2001...
- Andrés EscobarAndrés EscobarAndrés Escobar Saldarriaga , nicknamed "The Gentleman of Football", was a Colombian footballer who was shot and killed in Medellín. It is widely believed that he was murdered due to his own goal in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which supposedly would have caused gambling losses to several powerful drug...
- Wilson PerezWilson PérezWilson Enrique Pérez Pérez is a retired Colombian football defender who was capped 47 times and scored 3 international goals for the Colombia national team between 1989 and 1997, including three matches at the 1994 World Cup.Pérez started his professionalplaying career in 1985 with América de...
Cycling
Colombian Cycling Federation
The Colombian Cycling Federation or FCC is the national governing body of cycle racing in Colombia.The FCC is a member of the UCI and COPACI.-External links:*...
. Rodriguez was later followed by a generation of bicyclers known as the "Colombian beetles" which include up to this date Luis "Lucho" Herrera
Luis Herrera
Luis Alberto "Lucho" Herrera Herrera known as "el jardinerito" is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist...
, Luis Felipe Laverde
Luis Felipe Laverde
Luis Felipe Laverde Jimenez is Colombian professional road bicycle racer for Café de Colombia-Colombia es Pasión. His best results are two stage victories in the Giro d'Italia, in 2006 and 2007.- Major victories :...
, Fabio Parra
Fabio Parra
Fabio Enrique Parra Pinto is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist. Parra was successful as an amateur in Colombia, winning the Novatos classification for new riders or riders riding their first edition of the race, and finishing 14th in the 1979 Vuelta a Colombia and then the General...
, Víctor Hugo Peña
Víctor Hugo Peña
Víctor Hugo Peña Grisales is a Colombian professional road racing cyclist. He is named after both his father Hugo and the more famous author Victor Hugo. He rides for the Rock Racing professional cycling team...
, Santiago Botero
Santiago Botero
Santiago Botero Echeverry is a Colombian former professional road bicycle racer. He was a pro from 1996 to 2010, during which time he raced in three editions of the Tour de France and four editions of the Vuelta a España...
and more recently Mauricio Soler
Mauricio Soler
Juan Mauricio Soler Hernández is a Colombian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . He competed in the Tour de France for the first time in 2007, winning stage 9 having broken away on the Col du Galibier. He won that year's King of the Mountains title. Soler stated the stage win...
. These competitors created a fan base in Colombia which in turn helped to create the Vuelta a Colombia
Vuelta a Colombia
The Vuelta a Colombia is an annual cycling road race, run over many stages throughout different regions in Colombia and sometimes Venezuela during the first days of August. It is organized by the Colombian Cycling Federation.The first Vuelta a Colombia was held in 1951...
a local cycling competition.
During the 1990s the government of the Colombian capital, Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
introduced the Ciclovía
Ciclovía
Ciclovía is term which translates from Spanish into English as "bike path" and now used worldwide to describe either a permanently designated bicycle route or a temporary event, the closing of the street to automobiles for use by others.-Origins in Colombia:Each Sunday and holiday certain main...
which became popular and were introduced later into other Colombian cities. The government of Bogotá later built Bogotá's Bike Paths Network
Bogota's Bike Paths Network
Bogotá is the Colombian city with the most extensive and comprehensive network of bike paths. Bogotá’s bike paths network or ciclorrutas in Spanish, designed and built during the administration of Mayor Enrique Peñalosa, is also one of the most extensive in the world.The design of the network was...
to sponsor the practice of sports by the population and to curb the city's increasing pollution by drivers. The network extends throughout the city with bicycle use increasing 5 times in the city. There is an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 trips made daily in Bogotá by bicycle. A large portion of this use is in southern poorer areas.
Champions
- María Luisa CalleMaría Luisa CalleMaría Luisa Calle Williams is a Colombian professional racing cyclist. She was born in Medellín.In the 2004 Summer Olympics, she won a bronze medal in the cycling women's points race, the first Colombian to win a medal in cycling. She was forced to return the medal after positive test result for...
, bronze medal winner in the 2004 Summer Olympics2004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
and World Champion. - Fabio ParraFabio ParraFabio Enrique Parra Pinto is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist. Parra was successful as an amateur in Colombia, winning the Novatos classification for new riders or riders riding their first edition of the race, and finishing 14th in the 1979 Vuelta a Colombia and then the General...
, 3rd place in the tour de France, 1988 - Santiago BoteroSantiago BoteroSantiago Botero Echeverry is a Colombian former professional road bicycle racer. He was a pro from 1996 to 2010, during which time he raced in three editions of the Tour de France and four editions of the Vuelta a España...
, Counter-clock world champion - Martín Emilio "Cochise" Rodríguez, Hour competition world champion and world Champion in 4000 m pursuit.
- Marlon Pérez, Youth World Champion by points, 1994
- Efraín Domínguez, Double world record in kilometer and 200 m pushed 1987
- Lucho HerreraLuis HerreraLuis Alberto "Lucho" Herrera Herrera known as "el jardinerito" is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist...
, "El jardinerito", Champion of the Dauphiné LibéréDauphiné LibéréThe Critérium du Dauphiné is an annual cycling road race, run over eight stages in the Dauphiné region in France during the first half of June. The race was inaugurated by a local newspaper, the Dauphiné Libéré, which gave its name to the event...
1988, 1991 and Vuelta a EspañaVuelta a EspañaThe Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
, 1987 - Martín RamírezMartín Ramírez (cyclist)Martín Alonso Ramírez Ramírez is a Colombian former road bicycle racer.-External links:*...
Champion Dauphiné Libéré 1984 - Alfonso Florez OrtizAlfonso Flórez OrtizAlfonzo Flórez Ortiz was a Colombian road racing cyclist who was a professional from 1985 to 1987, where he rode for the Colombian professional cycling team Café de Colombia team....
Champion Tour de l'AvenirTour de l'AvenirTour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
, 1980 - Víctor Canto, only Colombian cyclist to wear the Yellow jerseyYellow jerseyThe general classification in the Tour de France is the most important classification, the one by which the winner of the Tour de France is determined. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification wears the yellow jersey .-History:...
in a Tour de FranceTour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
leader, 2003.
Boxing
Professional Boxing in Colombia is mostly practiced in Caribbean region and in poor areas of the western regions of Colombia. Boxing in Colombia was also introduced by Europeans in the late 19th Century and became popular in Latin America in the early 20th Century and in Colombia became popular in the 1960s with the triumphs of Antonio "Kid Pambele" CervantesAntonio Cervantes
Antonio Cervantes aka Kid Pambelé is a Colombian boxing trainer and former two time world Jr. Welterweight champion. He successfully defended the title 16 times. Cervantes fought 21 world title fights, keeping the 140 pounds title for almost 8 years...
who became a two time world Jr. Welterweight champion. He was then followed by boxers like Prudencio Cardona
Prudencio Cardona
Prudencio Cardona is a former boxer who was world flyweight champion. He represented his native country at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany.-Professional boxing career:...
, Rodrigo Valdéz
Rodrigo Valdez
Rodrigo Valdéz is a former boxer from Colombia who was a two-time world middleweight champion and former undisputed middleweight champion of the world whose rivalry with Carlos Monzón has long been considered among the most legendary boxing rivalries. Valdez was trained by International Boxing...
, Fidel Bassa
Fidel Bassa
Fidel Bassa, born 18 December 1962 in El Reten, Colombia, is a former professional boxer.He was WBA Flyweight Champion from 3 February 1987 until 30 September 1989...
, and many more. The success of these boxers created a fan base and many Colombians started to follow the sport. The National Boxing Commission of Colombia (Comisión Nacional de Boxeo de Colombia) was created and regulated the practice of boxing in Colombia.
In the 1980s the success of Miguel "Happy" Lora reigned in the bantam weight division (118 pounds) -WBC- from 1985 to 1988 and the silver medal in the Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
of Carlos José Tamara. Another boxers have figured internationally and won some titles such as Ener Julio
Ener Julio
Ener Julio is a boxer from Cartagena, Colombia, and a former WBO world junior welterweight champion.Julio began boxing professionally in 1994, and captured the WBO Light Welterweight Title with a decision victory over Randall Bailey. He lost the belt in his first defense to DeMarcus Corley after a...
, Joel Julio
Joel Julio
Joel Jalil Julio Mejia is a professional Colombian boxer rated as a junior middleweight. In 2005, he was named ESPN.com's Boxing Prospect of the Year and he has appeared on Ring Magazine's New Faces feature, as well as in ShoBox.-Professional career:Julio's first loss was a 12 round unanimous...
, among others.
During the 1990s surged Irene "Mambaco" Pacheco
Irene Pacheco
Irene Pacheco also known as Mambaco is a Colombian boxer former world champion in the IBF Flyweight category....
who became a world champion in the IBF Flyweight category and in the 2000s Fulgencio Zúñiga
Fulgencio Zúñiga
Fulgencio Zúñiga is a professional boxer of 178 cm height, current IBO Super middleweight champion, having beaten previously undefeated knockout artist Victor Oganov for the vacant title on September 1, 2007...
current IBO Super middleweight champion.
Champions
- Tomas Molinares, World Boxing champion, welter jr division (WBA) 1988
- Prudencio CardonaPrudencio CardonaPrudencio Cardona is a former boxer who was world flyweight champion. He represented his native country at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany.-Professional boxing career:...
World Boxing champion, light division 1982 (WBC) - Ricardo cardonaRicardo CardonaRicardo Cardona is a Latino chef in New York City who is the executive chef of Lua, Sofrito and Hudson River Cafe as well as the chef for the New York Yankees and their opponents during home games at Yankee Stadium.-Career:...
World Boxing champion - Elvis ÁlvarezElvis ÁlvarezElvis Álvarez was professional boxer in the flyweight division.- Boxing career :...
World Boxing champion light division 1989-1990 (WBO), 1991 (WBA) - Irene PachecoIrene PachecoIrene Pacheco also known as Mambaco is a Colombian boxer former world champion in the IBF Flyweight category....
World Boxing champion FIB, fly division 1999 - Kermin Guardia World Boxing champion OMB, minimum division
- Beibis MendozaBeibis MendozaBeibis Antonio Mendoza is a professional boxer from Colombia. He is a former WBA light-flyweight champion.- Amateur career :Mendoza was a member of the 1996 Colombian Olympic Team as a Light Flyweight...
World Boxing champion AMB, minifly division - Camilo el "Bambino" García World Boxing champion FIB, fly division 1992
- Daniel ReyesDaniel Reyes (boxer)Daniel Antonio Reyes Torres is a professional boxer from Colombia.-Amateur career:Reyes represented Colombia as a Flyweight at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games...
World Boxing champion FIB, minimum division - Rodrigo Valdes World Boxing champion AMB - CMB medium division
- Luis "Chicanero" Mendoza World Boxing champion
- Jorge Eliecer Julio World Boxing champion and Bronze medal 1988 Olympic Games1988 Summer OlympicsThe 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
- Mauricio PastranaMauricio PastranaMauricio Antonio Pastrana Tapi, more commonly known as Mauricio Pastrana, is a Colombian professional boxer who fights in the super bantamweight division.-Professional career:...
World Boxing champion - Antonio Cervantes "Kid" PambeléAntonio CervantesAntonio Cervantes aka Kid Pambelé is a Colombian boxing trainer and former two time world Jr. Welterweight champion. He successfully defended the title 16 times. Cervantes fought 21 world title fights, keeping the 140 pounds title for almost 8 years...
World Boxing champion welter jr - Miguel "Happy" Lora World Boxing champion 1985 until 1988 (WBC)
- Fidel BassaFidel BassaFidel Bassa, born 18 December 1962 in El Reten, Colombia, is a former professional boxer.He was WBA Flyweight Champion from 3 February 1987 until 30 September 1989...
World Boxing champion, light division 1987 - 1989 (WBA) - Rafael "Derby" Pineda Campeón Mundial de Boxeo Welter jr
- Ener JulioEner JulioEner Julio is a boxer from Cartagena, Colombia, and a former WBO world junior welterweight champion.Julio began boxing professionally in 1994, and captured the WBO Light Welterweight Title with a decision victory over Randall Bailey. He lost the belt in his first defense to DeMarcus Corley after a...
World Boxing champion welter jr - Edison Miranda
- Carlos MaussaCarlos MaussaCarlos "El Apóstol" Maussa is a former professional boxer and light welterweight titleholder. Turning pro in 2000, at the age of 29, Maussa won two titles and fought in several significant fights until his retirement at age 38.Maussa was raised in the Santa Fe neighborhood of Montería, a city...
World Boxing champion welter jr - Miguel "Huracán" Barrera World Boxing champion FIB, minimum division
- Miguel "Mascara" Maturana World Boxing champion Aficionado rooster division, Montreal, Canadá 1981
- Joel JulioJoel JulioJoel Jalil Julio Mejia is a professional Colombian boxer rated as a junior middleweight. In 2005, he was named ESPN.com's Boxing Prospect of the Year and he has appeared on Ring Magazine's New Faces feature, as well as in ShoBox.-Professional career:Julio's first loss was a 12 round unanimous...
- Robinsón PitalúaRobinsón PitalúaRobinson Pitalúa Támara was a Colombian boxer, who represented his native country at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in the Men's Bantamweight division....
- Clemente Pérez, bronce medal, 1972 Summer Olympics1972 Summer OlympicsThe 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
- Alfonso Pérez bronce medal 1972 Summer Olympics1972 Summer OlympicsThe 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
- Rubén "Huracán" Palacios World Boxing champion feather division OMB
- Juan UrangoJuan UrangoJuan "Iron Twin" Urango is a professional boxer in the junior welterweight division.-Pro Career:...
World Boxing champion super light division FIB
Roller skating
With the introduction of Inline skatesInline skates
In-line skates are a type of roller skate used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which have two front and two rear wheels, inline skates have two, three, four, or five wheels arranged in a single line...
in Colombia during the 1990s roller skating
Roller skating
Roller skating is the traveling on smooth surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in two basic varieties: quad roller skates and inline skates or blades, though some have experimented with a...
became widely practiced throughout most of the main cities in the country. It was mostly popular in the main and medium size cities such as Cartagena
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
, Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
, Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Pasto
Pasto
Pasto, officially San Juan de Pasto, is the capital of the department of Nariño, located in southwest Colombia. The city is located in the "Atriz Valley", on the Andes cordillera, at the foot of the Galeras volcano, at an altitude of 8,290 feet above sea level...
, Barrancabermeja
Barrancabermeja
Barrancabermeja is a city and municipality in Santander Department, in northeastern Colombia. It is located on the banks of the Magdalena River in the Middle Magdalena region, 110 km west of Bucaramanga. Founded in 1536, Barrancabermeja is home of the biggest petroleum refinery in Colombia,...
, Barranquilla
Barranquilla
Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
, Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
and Valledupar
Valledupar
Valledupar is a city and municipality in northeastern Colombia. It is the capital of Cesar Department and was founded in 1550 by the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Santana. Its name, Valle de Upar , was established in honor of the Amerindian cacique who ruled the valley; Cacique Upar...
.
Notable
- Claudia Ruiz Female Inline speed skatingInline speed skatingInline speed skating is the sport of racing on inline skates It is often called inline racing by participants. Although it primarily evolved from racing on traditional roller skates, the sport is similar enough to ice speed skating that many competitors are now known to switch between inline and...
world champion 300 meters, 1990 - Luz Mery Tristan Female Inline speed skating world champion 5000 meters, 1990
- Guillermo Leon Botero Inline speed skating world champion 20000 meters 1990
- Luis Eduardo Moreno Inline speed skating world champion in China, 300 meters
- Liana Holguín Female Inline speed skating world champion in China
- Andrés Felipe Muñoz 15,000 meters Inline speed skating Junior world champion in Abruzzo, 2004 in China 2005
- Brigitte Méndez Female Inline speed skating world champion 15.000 m elimination, Abruzzo (Italy) 2004, Sushou (China) 2005, 1.000 m line Sushou (China) 2005
- Juan Nayib Tobón Multiple World champion Inline speed skating in China
- Silvia Natalia Niño Multiple Inline speed skating world champion
- Diego Rosero Multiple Inline speed skating world champion
- Cecilia Baena Female Inline speed skating world champion
- Berenice Moreno Female Inline speed skating world champion
- Jorge Botero Inline speed skating world champion
- Jennifer Caicedo Female Inline speed skating world champion 500 meters Duisburg (Germany) and Suzhou (China) and in Barquisimeto (Venezuela)
- Edwin Guevara Inline speed skating world champion 1996, 1998
- Anderson Ariza Inline speed skating world champion 2002
- Alexandra Vivas Female Inline speed skating world champion 10,000 meters (Italy) 2004
- Nelson Garzon Inline speed skating world champion 10,000 meters points, 2006
- Jersy Puello Inline speed skating world champion 200 m and 1.000 m (Italy) 2004
- Carolina Upegui Inline speed skating world champion 15,000 meters (Italy) 2004
- Kelly Martinez Inline speed skating junior world champion 15,000 meters Barquisimeto (Venezuela) 2003
- Jorge Cifuentes Inline speed skating junior world champion 1.000 m, 500 m J (Italy) 2004
Motor Sports
- Roberto GuerreroRoberto GuerreroRoberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...
former Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
pilot. - Martin Cardenas 250cc Grand Prix motorcycle racingGrand Prix motorcycle racingRoad Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
pilot.
With The most known Colombians that Los colombianos más destacados en los deportes de motor son el piloto de Fórmula 1 Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán is a Colombian race car driver known internationally for participating and winning in Formula One and CART race competitions. He has enjoyed great success. Currently, he competes in NASCAR, driving the #42 Target Chevrolet Impala for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the Sprint...
y el piloto de Martin Cardenas.
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán is a Colombian race car driver known internationally for participating and winning in Formula One and CART race competitions. He has enjoyed great success. Currently, he competes in NASCAR, driving the #42 Target Chevrolet Impala for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the Sprint...
has been the most successful sportsman in motor sports in Colombia with a cameo in Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
and of 2006 in the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
, United States.
Chess
- Miguel CuéllarMiguel CuéllarMiguel Cuéllar Gacharná was a Colombian chess master.Cuéllar won the Colombian championship nine times: in 1941, 1946, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, and 1971. He played for Colombia in six Chess Olympiads: 1954, 1956, 1958, 1964, 1970, and 1972...
- Boris de GreiffBoris de GreiffBoris de Greiff Bernal was a Colombian chess master and writer, born in Medellín and son of the Colombian poet León de Greiff....
- Ilse GuggenbergerIlse GuggenbergerIlse D. Guggenberger is a Colombian chess master.She was the Colombian Women's Champion in 1965, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1984....
- Luis Augusto SánchezLuis Augusto SánchezLuis Augusto Sánchez a Colombian chess master.He was six-times Colombian Champion ....
- Alonso ZapataAlonso ZapataAlonso Zapata Ramirez is a Colombian chess Grandmaster.He was Colombian Champion in 1980, 1981, 1995 , 1996, 2000, and 2002.Zapata played eleven times for Colombia in the Chess Olympiads ....
Finished Second Youth World Championship 1977, Great Internacional Masters.
Athletics
- Ximena RestrepoXimena RestrepoXimena Restrepo Gaviria is a former Colombian sprinter. With the time of 49.64 seconds she won a bronze medal in 400 metres at the 1992 Olympic Games, Colombia's first athletics medal. This result is still a South American record, as is the case with her 200 metres time of 22.92 seconds, which she...
Athletic runner, Bronze medal 1992 Olympic Games1992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same... - Orlando Duque Diving, World Champion
Baseball
- Liga Colombiana de Béisbol ProfesionalColombian Professional Baseball LeagueThe Colombian Professional Baseball League, also known as the Colombian Winter League, is a professional baseball league based in Colombia...
- ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
Baseball World Cup ChampionsHistory of baseball outside the United StatesRecorded instances of baseball played outside North America came in 1874, when a party comprising members of the Boston and Philadelphia clubs toured England both playing cricket and demonstrating baseball...
1947, 1965. - ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
Gold medal Bolivarian GamesBolivarian GamesThe Bolivarian Games are a regional multi-sport event held in honor of Simón Bolívar, and organized by the Bolivarian Sports Organization...
in LimaLimaLima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
1947 - ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
Gold medal Central American and Caribbean GamesCentral American and Caribbean GamesThe Central American and Caribbean Games are a multi-sport regional championships event, held quadrennial , typically in the middle year between Summer Olympics...
in BarranquillaBarranquillaBarranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
1946 - Orlando RamírezOrlando RamírezOrlando Ramírez Leal is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and right-handed batter who played for the California Angels between 1974 and 1979...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... - Jackie GutiérrezJackie GutiérrezJoaquín Fernando "Jackie" Gutiérrez is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and right-handed batter...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player - Jolbert CabreraJolbert CabreraJolbert Alexis Cabrera [HOLE-bert kah-BRER-rah] is a Major League Baseball Utility player who is currently playing in the Mexican League. Cabrera played with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan's Pacific League for two years...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player - Orlando CabreraOrlando CabreraOrlando Luis Cabrera, nicknamed "O-Cab" and "The OC", is a Colombian-American baseball infielder.He won a World Series championship in 2004 with the Boston Red Sox. He has played for the Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins,...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player - Luis CastroLuis CastroLuis Manuel Castro was born in Medellín, Colombia.) He was the first latin american born player to play in Major League Baseball in the United States, and the first Latin American since Cuban player Esteban Bellán in 1873 as a professional baseball player...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player - Edgar RenteríaEdgar RenteríaEdgar Enrique Rentería Herazo , nicknamed "The Barranquilla Baby," is a Colombian professional baseball shortstop. He throws and bats right-handed. Previously, he has played for the Florida Marlins, the St...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player Champion 1997 World Series1997 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
with Florida MarlinsFlorida MarlinsThe Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
and 2010 World Series2010 World SeriesThe 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
with San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. - Emiliano FrutoEmiliano FrutoEmiliano Ricardo Fruto is a Colombian professional baseball pitcher. He made his debut in Major League Baseball with the Seattle Mariners on May 14,...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player, pitcher Seattle MarinersSeattle MarinersThe Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July... - Ernesto FrieriErnesto FrieriErnesto Frieri , is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the San Diego Padres.-San Diego Padres:...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player, pitcher San Diego PadresSan Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
Bowling
- Jairo Ocampo Bowling World Champion, 1974
- Armando Mariño Bowling World Champion, 1983
- Clara Juliana Guerrero Female Bowling World Champion, 2003
Golf
Currently, Camilo VillegasCamilo Villegas
Camilo Villegas is a Colombian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour.-Early years:Villegas was born in Medellín, Colombia, and took up golf as a child...
is the most recognized Colombian golfer in the world. He has been a PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
professional in the United States since 2006. In 2008, Villegas was the first PGA Tour player in 11 years to win his first two PGA Tour events back-to-back. He is currently among the Top 10 ranked golfers in the world according to the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
.
Marisa Baena
Marisa Baena
Marisa Isabel Baena is a Colombian golfer who plays on the U.S. based LPGA Tour.Baena was born in Pereira, Colombia. She started playing golf at the age of six...
was the inaugural Champion of the HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship
HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship
The HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship was an LPGA Tour golf tournament that was played from 2005 through 2007. It was first played from June 30 to July 3, 2005 at Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Gladstone, New Jersey...
, in 2005.
Camilo Benedetti, Diego Vanegas and Manuel ("Manny") Villegas (younger brother of Camilo Villegas
Camilo Villegas
Camilo Villegas is a Colombian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour.-Early years:Villegas was born in Medellín, Colombia, and took up golf as a child...
) are currently playing professional golf in the United States on the Nationwide Tour
Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
with hopes of eventually graduating to the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
. David Vanegas is playing on the equivalent Challenge Tour
Challenge Tour
The Challenge Tour is the second tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and as with on the main European Tour and the European Seniors Tour, some of the events are played outside of Europe...
with the prospect of promotion to the European Tour.
Weightlifting
- María Isabel UrrutiaMaría Isabel UrrutiaMaría Isabel Urrutia Ocoró is a weightlifter and politician from Colombia.-Athletic career:Initially she competed in shot put and discus throw, and participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics in these events. She switched to weightlifting in 1989, and won silver at the 1989 World Championships...
, female weightlifter, multiple times world champion and gold medal 2000 Olympic Games - Mabel MosqueraMabel MosqueraMabel Mosquera Mena is a female weightlifter from Colombia.Born in Quibdó, Department of Chocó, she started weightlifting in 1999....
, female weightlifter, bronze medal 2004 Olympic Games - Diego Fernando SalazarDiego Fernando SalazarDiego Fernando Salazar Quintero is a Colombian weightlifter, Olympic medalist and two times gold medal winner at the Pan American Games. He was born in Tuluá, Department of Valle del Cauca....
, male weightlifter, silver medal 2008 Olympic Games
Olympic Wrestling
- Albeiro García World Champion Greco-Roman wrestlingGreco-Roman wrestlingGreco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practised worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in three two-minute periods, which can...
, StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, 1980 - Joselio Mosquera World Champion Greco-Roman wrestlingGreco-Roman wrestlingGreco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practised worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in three two-minute periods, which can...
Jackeline Renteria - 2008 Beijing Olympics- Women's Freestyle- Bronze- 55 kg
Tennis
- Alejandro FallaAlejandro FallaAlejandro Falla Ramirez is a professional male tennis player from Colombia. He turned pro in 2000, plays left-handed, weighs 169 lb and measures 6'1" . At the 2006 Wimbledon tournament, Falla upset 9th seed Nikolay Davydenko and at the 2007 Sony Ericsson Open he beat 9th seed Tommy Haas in...
, professional tennis player - Mauricio HadadMauricio HadadMauricio Hadad is a former tennis player from Colombia.Hadad is of Lebanese background. The right-hander turned pro in 1988 and reached his highest individual ranking on the ATP Tour on September 11, 1995, when he became World number 78. His best performance at a Grand Slam came at the 1996...
, professional tennis player - Fabiola ZuluagaFabiola ZuluagaFabiola Zuluaga was a professional tennis player from Colombia. She retired on 9 September 2005. She reached the Australian Open Semifinals in 2004 and became the first Colombian tennis player to reach a Grand Slam semifinal. She is one of the best tennis player that Colombia has had .- External...
, female professional tennis player - Catalina CastañoCatalina CastañoCatalina Castaño Alvarez is a professional female Colombian tennis player. On July 10, 2006, Catalina reached her career-high singles ranking: World No. 35. Since November 2006, she is the highest ranked South American female tennis player...
, female professional tennis player
Shooting
- Helmut BellingrodtHelmut BellingrodtHelmut Bellingrodt is a Colombian sport shooter who won two Olympic silver medals. He participated in the 1972 Munich, 1976 Montreal, and 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games. He is the Colombian sportsman with more olympic medals....
Shooting world champion and 19721972 Summer OlympicsThe 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
, 1984 Olympic Games1984 Summer OlympicsThe 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984... - Bernardo Tovar Automatic pistol world champion in Moscow 1990 and seven time champion of in pistol, fast shooting and automatic pistol.
Speed Skating
- Jay Ramirez, 26 year old London based Colombian skater who is training in Berlin and attempting to become the first Colombian born athlete to take part in the Winter Olympic Games, in Sochi 2014