Sports in Colombia
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Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
includes
professional sports In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larg ...
leagues, as well as amateur leagues for numerous sports.
Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
,
cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...
, and roller skating are the most popular sports in Colombia. The Government of Colombia sponsors numerous individuals and teams nationally and internationally through the Ministry of Culture to enable sportspeople to represent Colombia in competition. The achievements of professional sportspeople are a source of national pride for Colombians.


Football

The Colombian Football Federation was founded in 1924 and has been associated with
FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
and
CONMEBOL The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL, , or CSF; es, Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol; pt, Confederação Sul-Americana de Futebol) is the continental governing body of football in South America (apart from Guyana, Suri ...
since 1936. Colombia's national team participated in a
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
in
1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...
, followed by others in
1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
,
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
,
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
,
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
and
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
. Its best presentation was in 2014, when the team reached the quarter-finals and James Rodríguez became top scorer of the tournament. The only "olympic goal" (a goal made directly from one corner shot) in the World Cup was scored for Colombia by
Marcos Coll Marcos Tulio Coll Tesillo (23 August 1935 – 5 June 2017), also known as ''El Olímpico'' was a Colombian professional footballer. He played for Junior de Barranquilla and other clubs, and represented Colombia in the 1962 FIFA World Cup. He ...
, beating legendary goalkeeper
Lev Yashin Lev Ivanovich Yashin (russian: Лев Иванович Яшин; 22 October 1929 – 20 March 1990), nicknamed the "Black Spider" or the "Black Panther", was a Soviet professional footballer regarded by many as the greatest goalkeeper in the hi ...
in a 4–4 draw with the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
in 1962. A golden era existed for the national team from the mid-1980s towards the late 1990s when it became one of the most powerful teams in football, with a generation of talented players such as Carlos Valderrama,
Andrés Escobar Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga (; 13 March 1967 – 2 July 1994) was a Colombian footballer who played as a defender. He played for Atlético Nacional, BSC Young Boys, and the Colombia national team. Nicknamed ''The Gentleman'', he was known ...
,
René Higuita José René Higuita Zapata (; born 27 August 1966) is a Colombian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was nicknamed ''El Loco'' ("The Madman") for his high-risk ' sweeper-keeper' playing style and his flair for the dram ...
and
Faustino Asprilla Faustino Hernán Asprilla Hinestroza (born 10 November 1969) is a Colombian former professional footballer who most notably played for Parma, Newcastle United and the Colombia national team as a forward. Club career Early years After starting ...
. Colombia was the champion of the
2001 Copa América The 2001 Copa América was held in Colombia, from 11 to 29 July. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body. Colombia won the tournament for the 1st time without conceding a goal. Brazil national football team, Brazil ...
, which they hosted and set a new record of being undefeated, conceding no goals and winning each match. Prior to that success, they were runners-up to
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
in the
1975 Copa América The 1975 edition of the Copa América football tournament was played between 17 July and 28 October. For the first time there was no fixed venue, and all matches were played throughout the year in each country. In addition, the tournament changed ...
. Colombia was the first team to win FIFA best mover in 1993 where the achievement was first introduced (with some help from their famous 5-0 thrashing of South American powerhouse Argentina at the qualifiers for the 1994 FIFA World Cup) and the second team after
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
to win it twice, with the second being in 2013. Colombia also hosted the
2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup The 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the 18th FIFA U-20 World Cup. Colombia hosted the tournament between 29 July and 20 August 2011, with matches being played in eight cities. The tournament was won by Brazil who claimed their fifth title. At a FIFA ...
and is to host the
2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup The 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup was the eighth FIFA Futsal World Cup, the quadrennial international futsal championship contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament was held in Colombia from 10 September ...
. Colombia was organized to host the 2020 Copa América with
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. However, on May 20, 2020, Colombia was removed due to the
2021 Colombian protests A series of protests began in Colombia on 28 April 2021 against increased taxes, corruption, and health care reform proposed by the government of President Iván Duque Márquez. The tax initiative was introduced to expand funding to Ingreso Sol ...
, and Argentina was later removed due to
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
issues.
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
became the host for the cup. The nation also qualified for the
1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...
,
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
,
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...
, and
1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...
. Throughout the years, many Colombians have also worked for leagues in other nations. The national clubs compete in the
Categoría Primera A The Categoría Primera A (), commonly referred to as Liga BetPlay Dimayor (between 2015 and 2019 ''Liga Águila'') due to sponsorship by online betting company BetPlay, is a Colombian professional league for association football clubs. It is the ...
, which also participates in international tournaments like
Copa Libertadores de América The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club association football, football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level ...
upon winning or finishing in the first places. In club football, Atlético Nacional became the first Colombian club team to win the
Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in S ...
in 1989 and later in 2016. Once Caldas were the surprise winners of the 2004 Copa Libertadores and the second Colombian team to do so.


Cycling

Cycling in Colombia became very popular with the beginning of the annual Vuelta a Colombia race in 1951, followed by the annual
Clásico RCN The Clásico RCN (Spanish for ''RCN Classic'') is an annual cycling road race that takes place over many stages through different regions of Colombia during October. It is organized by the Colombian Cycling Federation. The event is sponsored b ...
starting in 1961. The triumphs of Martín Emilio "Cochise" Rodríguez in European cycling competitions increased the sport's popularity, which in turn helped to develop the
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 * Cycle racing organizations Cycle racing in Colombia Cycling Cy ...
. Rodriguez was followed by professional Colombian cyclists known as the "Colombian beetles", which include up to this date Luis "Lucho" Herrera,
Luis Felipe Laverde Luis Felipe Laverde Jimenez (born 6 July 1979 in Urrao) is Colombian professional road bicycle racer for , having left the team. His best results are two stage victories in the Giro d'Italia, in 2006 and 2007. Palmarès ;2001 : Pan American C ...
,
Fabio Parra Fabio Enrique Parra Pinto (born November 22, 1959 in Sogamoso, Boyacá) 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 fi ...
,
Víctor Hugo Peña Víctor Hugo Peña Grisales (born July 10, 1974 in Bogotá) is a Colombian professional retired road racing cyclist. He last rode for the professional cycling team. In 2003, Peña became the first Colombian to wear the yellow jersey at the Tou ...
, Santiago Botero,
Mauricio Soler Juan Mauricio Soler Hernández (born January 14, 1983 in Ramiriquí, Boyacá) is a Colombian former professional road bicycle racer, who last rode for UCI ProTour team . He competed in the Tour de France for the first time in 2007, winning st ...
. The "escarabajo" (beetle) nickname was coined by radio announcer José Enrique Buitrago, while watching
Ramón Hoyos Ramón Hoyos Vallejo (26 May 1932 – 19 November 2014) was a Colombian road bicycle racer who won the men's individual road race at the 1959 Pan American Games. He represented his native country twice at the Summer Olympics; in 1956 and 1960. He ...
climb a hill ahead of French professional racer José Beyaert during the 1955 Vuelta a Colombia. Colombian cycling has enjoyed a renaissance in the early 2010s, with Colombian riders enjoying international success. One of the factors cited for this success has been the establishment of the 4-72 Colombia cycling team (formerly known as Colombia es Pasión-Café de Colombia), which has developed several cyclists who have gone on to compete for
UCI Worldteams UCI most commonly refers to: * University of California, Irvine, a public university in Irvine, California, United States * Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body for the sport of cycling UCI may also refer to: * Uganda Cancer In ...
. The government-backed Colombia-Coldeportes cycling team competed at the 2013 Giro d'Italia, and was the first all-Colombian team to do so for 21 years. The team aimed to secure UCI ProTeam status and compete in the Tour de France, however the team announced its disbanding in October 2015 due to the withdrawal of financial support from Coldeportes, the Colombian government's sports ministry. Riders who graduated to the UCI World Tour from the team included
Esteban Chaves Jhoan Esteban Chaves Rubio (born 17 January 1990) is a Colombian professional road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Born in Bogotá, Chaves has competed as a professional since the start of the 2012 season, having signed fo ...
and
Darwin Atapuma Jhon Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (born 15 January 1988) is a Colombian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team . After two seasons with , Atapuma left the team at the end of the 2013 season and joined the for 2014. In 2015, he finishe ...
. High-profile riders emerging in this period include Nairo Quintana,
Rigoberto Uran ''Rigoberto'' is a 1945 Argentine comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black c ...
, Sergio Henao,
Carlos Betancur Carlos Alberto Betancur Gómez (born 13 October 1989) is a Colombian road racing cyclist, who most recently rode for Colombian amateur team . Career In 2010 he won the Girobio stage race; the amateur version of the Giro d'Italia; and in 2011 ...
and
Mariana Pajon Mariana may refer to: Literature * ''Mariana'' (Dickens novel), a 1940 novel by Monica Dickens * ''Mariana'' (poem), a poem by Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson * ''Mariana'' (Vaz novel), a 1997 novel by Katherine Vaz Music *"Mariana", a so ...
. The two main strongholds of the sport in Colombia are the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the centre of the country and
Antioquia Antioquia is the Spanish form of Antioch. Antioquia may also refer to: * Antioquia Department, Colombia * Antioquia State, Colombia (defunct) * Antioquia District, Peru * Antioquia Railway The Antioquia Railway ( es, Ferrocarril de Antioquia) i ...
in the west, both being mountainous regions. During the 1990s, the government of the Colombian capital,
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...
introduced the
Ciclovía Ciclovía (, ), also ''ciclovia'' or ''cyclovia'', is a Spanish term that means "cycleway", either a permanent bike path or the temporary closing of certain streets to automobiles for cyclists and pedestrians, a practice sometimes called open str ...
, which became popular and were introduced later into other Colombian cities. The government of Bogotá later built Bogotá's Bike Paths Network 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 five times in the city. There is an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 trips made daily in Bogotá by bicycle.


Champions

* María Luisa Calle, bronze medal winner in the
2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
in Athens and World Champion. *
Fabio Parra Fabio Enrique Parra Pinto (born November 22, 1959 in Sogamoso, Boyacá) 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 fi ...
, 3rd place in the tour de France, 1988 * Santiago Botero, Time trial world champion * Martín Emilio "Cochise" Rodríguez, Hour world record holder and world champion in 4,000 m pursuit. *
Marlon Pérez Marlon is a masculine given name. According to the ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', the popularity of Marlon Brando led to general awareness of the name (his father was also named Marlon), though the origin of the name is not known. Speculatio ...
, Youth World Champion in the points race, 1994 * Efraín Domínguez, Double world record in kilometer and 200 m pushed 1987 * Luis "Lucho" Herrera, "El jardinerito", Champion of the
Dauphiné Libéré The Dauphiné (, ) is a former province in Southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was originally the Dauphiné of Viennois. In the 12th centur ...
(1988, 1991) and Vuelta a España (1987), first non-European to win the Tour de France
Mountains classification The King of the Mountains (KoM) is an award given to the best climbing specialist in a men's cycling road race; in women's cycle racing A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a femal ...
(1985) *
Martín Ramírez Martín Ramírez (January 30, 1895 – February 17, 1963) was a self-taught artist who spent most of his adult life institutionalized in California mental hospitals, diagnosed as a catatonic schizophrenic. He is considered by some to be one ...
, Champion Dauphiné Libéré 1984 *
Alfonso Florez Ortiz Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...
, Champion Tour de l'Avenir 1980 *
Víctor Hugo Peña Víctor Hugo Peña Grisales (born July 10, 1974 in Bogotá) is a Colombian professional retired road racing cyclist. He last rode for the professional cycling team. In 2003, Peña became the first Colombian to wear the yellow jersey at the Tou ...
, one of only three Colombian cyclists to have ever worn the yellow jersey in the Tour de France (2003). * Rigoberto Urán, silver medal winner in the Men's Olympic Road Race,
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, second place in the Giro d'Italia (2013, 2014), second place in the Tour de France (2017). * Mariana Pajón, gold medal winner at the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
in the women's BMX event, gold medal winner at the
2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
in the women's BMX event. *
Carlos Oquendo Carlos Mario Oquendo Zabala (born November 16, 1987, Medellín) is a Colombian racing cyclist (BMX style). Carlos was selected to represent Colombia at the London 2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of ...
, bronze medal winner at the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
in the men's BMX event. * Nairo Quintana, 2nd place overall in the Tour de France, 2013, 1st place overall Tour of the Basque Country, 2013, 1st place overall Vuelta a Burgos, 2013, 1st place overall Giro d'Italia 2014, winner of Tirreno–Adriatico 2015, 1st place overall Vuelta a España 2016. *
Edwin Ávila Edwin Alcibiades Ávila Vanegas (born 21 November 1989 in Cali) is a Colombian road and track cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam . At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed in the Men's team pursuit for the national team. He won the ...
, double track cycling world champion in the points race (2011,2014). *
Esteban Chaves Jhoan Esteban Chaves Rubio (born 17 January 1990) is a Colombian professional road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Born in Bogotá, Chaves has competed as a professional since the start of the 2012 season, having signed fo ...
, second place in the Giro d'Italia (2016) * Carlos Ramirez placed third at the
2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
in men's BMX *
Iván Sosa Iván Ramiro Sosa Cuervo (born 31 October 1997) is a Colombian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Career Early life and amateur career Sosa was born into a farming family in Pasca, Cundinamarca, a town located at high altitude in ...
, 1st place overall in the
2018 Vuelta a Burgos The 2018 Vuelta a Burgos was a men's road bicycle race which was held from 7 August to 11 August 2018. It is the 40th edition of the Vuelta a Burgos stage race, which was established in 1946. The race was rated as a 2.HC event and forms part of t ...
* Fernando Gaviria wearer of the Yellow Jersey in the
2018 Tour de France The 2018 Tour de France was the 105th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's three Grand Tours. The -long race consisted of 21 stages, starting on 7 July in Noirmoutier-en-l'Île, in western France, and concluding on 29 July with the ...
*
Egan Bernal Egan Arley Bernal Gómez (born 13 January 1997) is a Colombian cyclist who rides for UCI WorldTeam . In 2019 he won the Tour de France, becoming the first Latin American rider to do so, and the youngest winner since 1909. At the 2021 Giro d'It ...
winner of the general and youth classifications in the
2019 Tour de France The 2019 Tour de France was the 106th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours. The -long race consisted of 21 race stage, stages, starting in the Belgian capital of Brussels on 6 July, before movi ...
and
2021 Giro d'Italia The 2021 Giro d'Italia was the 104th edition of the Giro, a three-week Grand Tour cycling stage race. It started on 8 May and finished on 30 May. On 26 May 2019, the race organisers RCS Sport originally announced that the start of the 2021 Giro ...


Martial arts


Boxing

Professional boxing in Colombia is mostly practiced in Caribbean region and the Pacific Region. 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" Cervantes who became a two time world Jr. Welterweight champion. He was then followed by boxers like Prudencio Cardona,
Rodrigo Valdéz Rodrigo Valdez (February 22, 1946 – March 15, 2017) was a Colombian professional boxer who competed from 1963 to 1980. He was a two time middleweight champion, having held the WBC title from 1974 to 1976 and the undisputed WBA, WBC, and ''T ...
,
Fidel Bassa Fidel Bassa (born 18 December 1962 in El Retén, Colombia), is a former professional boxer. Bassa is owner and manager of Mundo Científico, a provider of educational technology and telecommunications company based in Bogota, Colombia. He was ...
, 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 Miguel Lora Escudero (born April 12, 1961 in Montería, Córdoba), known as Miguel Lora or "Happy" Lora is a Colombian boxer. He reigned as the WBC bantamweight champion of the world from 1985 to 1988. Beginnings and world title Lora started ...
reigned in the bantam weight division (118 pounds) -WBC- from 1985 to 1988 and the silver medal in the
Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...
of Carlos José Tamara. Another boxers have figured internationally and won some titles such as
Ener Julio Ener Julio Julio (born 14 October 1973) is a Colombian former professional boxer who competed from 1994 to 2008. He held the WBO junior welterweight title from 2000 to 2002. Professional career Julio made his professional debut in 1994. He captur ...
,
Joel Julio Joel Jalil Julio Mejia (born January 18, 198in Montería, Colombia) 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 Face ...
, among others. During the 1990s, surged Irene "Mambaco" Pacheco who became a world champion in the IBF Flyweight category, and in the 2000s, Fulgencio Zúñiga current IBO Super middleweight champion, recently, Yuberjen Martinez won the silver medal in Rio 2016.


Champions

* Tomas Molinares, World Boxing champion, welter jr division (WBA) 1988 * Prudencio Cardona, World Boxing champion, light division 1982 (WBC) * Ricardo cardona, World Boxing champion *
Elvis Álvarez Elvis Álvarez (February 2, 1965 - July 16, 1995) was a Colombian professional boxer in the flyweight division. Boxing career Álvarez turned professional in 1985 and captured the vacant WBO flyweight title with a decision win over Miguel Merc ...
, World Boxing champion, light division 1989-1990 (WBO), 1991 (WBA) *
Irene Pacheco Irene Pacheco, also known as Mambaco, (born 26 March 1971 in San Juan de Urabá) is a Colombian former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2007. He held the IBF flyweight title from 1999 to 2004 and challenged for the WBO bantamweight tit ...
, World Boxing champion FIB, fly division 1999 *
Kermin Guardia Kermin William Guardia Villeros (born January 17, 1970), is a Colombian former professional boxer who competed from 1991 to 2010. He won the WBO minimumweight title in 1998. Professional career Guardia turned professional in 1991 & amassed a r ...
, World Boxing champion OMB, minimum division *
Beibis Mendoza Beibis Antonio Mendoza (born 20 June 1974) is a Colombian professional boxer. He is a former WBA light-flyweight champion. Amateur career Mendoza was a member of the 1996 Colombian Olympic Team as a Light Flyweight. His results were: *Defeate ...
, World Boxing champion AMB, minifly division * Camilo el "Bambino" García, World Boxing champion FIB, fly division 1992 * Daniel Reyes, World Boxing champion FIB, minimum division *
Rodrigo Valdéz Rodrigo Valdez (February 22, 1946 – March 15, 2017) was a Colombian professional boxer who competed from 1963 to 1980. He was a two time middleweight champion, having held the WBC title from 1974 to 1976 and the undisputed WBA, WBC, and ''T ...
WBC Middleweight Champion, Undisputed World Middleweight Champion * Luis "Chicanero" Mendoza, World Boxing champion * Jorge Eliecer Julio, World Boxing champion and Bronze medal
1988 Olympic Games 1988 Olympics refers to both: *The 1988 Winter Olympics, which were held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada *The 1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul ...
*
Mauricio Pastrana Mauricio Antonio Pastrana Tapi (born 20 January 1973) is a Colombian former professional boxer. He is a former four-weight world champion, having won multiple titles in the light flyweight, super flyweight, and bantamweight divisions, as wel ...
, World Boxing champion * Antonio Cervantes "Kid" Pambelé, World Boxing champion, welter jr *
Miguel "Happy" Lora Miguel Lora Escudero (born April 12, 1961 in Montería, Córdoba), known as Miguel Lora or "Happy" Lora is a Colombian boxer. He reigned as the WBC bantamweight champion of the world from 1985 to 1988. Beginnings and world title Lora started ...
, World Boxing champion, 1985 until 1988 (WBC) *
Fidel Bassa Fidel Bassa (born 18 December 1962 in El Retén, Colombia), is a former professional boxer. Bassa is owner and manager of Mundo Científico, a provider of educational technology and telecommunications company based in Bogota, Colombia. He was ...
, World Boxing champion, light division 1987 - 1989 (WBA) * Rafael "Derby" Pineda, Campeón Mundial de Boxeo Welter jr *
Ener Julio Ener Julio Julio (born 14 October 1973) is a Colombian former professional boxer who competed from 1994 to 2008. He held the WBO junior welterweight title from 2000 to 2002. Professional career Julio made his professional debut in 1994. He captur ...
, World Boxing champion, welter jr *
Edison Miranda Edison Miranda (born January 7, 1981) is a Colombian former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2021. He challenged once each for the IBF middleweight and super middleweight world titles, and was considered to be one of the most danger ...
* Carlos Maussa, 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 Julio Joel Jalil Julio Mejia (born January 18, 198in Montería, Colombia) 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 Face ...
*
Robinsón Pitalúa Robinson Pitalúa Támara (September 3, 1964 – September 22, 1985) was a Colombian boxer, who represented his native country at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in the Men's Bantamweight division. Born in Montería, Córdoba Pita ...
* Clemente Rojas, bronze medal,
1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...
*
Alfonso Pérez Alfonso Pérez Muñoz (born 26 September 1972), known simply as Alfonso, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a striker. Having represented both Real Madrid and Barcelona during his career, Alfonso possessed above-averag ...
, bronze medal,
1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...
*
Jorge Julio Rocha Jorge is a Spanish and Portuguese given name. It is derived from the Greek name Γεώργιος (''Georgios'') via Latin ''Georgius''; the former is derived from (''georgos''), meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker". The Latin form ''Georgius'' ...
, bronze medal,
1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...
* Yuberjen Martinez, silver medal,
2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
* Rubén "Huracán" Palacios, World Boxing champion, feather division OMB *
Juan Urango Juan Fernando Urango Rivas (born October 4, 1980), best known as Juan Urango, is a Colombian former professional boxer who competed from 2002 to 2012. He held the IBF junior welterweight title twice between 2006 and 2010, and challenged once fo ...
, World Boxing champion, super light division FIB


Roller skating

With the introduction of inline skates in Colombia during the 1990s, roller skating 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,
Cali Santiago de Cali (), or Cali, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with 2,227,642 residents according to the 2018 census. The city spans with of urban area, making Cali the second ...
,
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...
, Pasto, Barrancabermeja,
Barranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean Coast region; as of 2018 it had a population of 1,206,319, making it Col ...
,
Medellín Medellín ( or ), officially the Municipality of Medellín ( es, Municipio de Medellín), is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central re ...
, and Valledupar. Colombia is a hub for roller skaters. The national team is a perennial powerhouse at the World Roller Speed Skating Championships and has won the overall title nine times in the past 12 years. Colombia also exports state-of-the-art technology in this sport.


Notable

*
Claudia Ruiz Claudia may refer to: People Ancient Romans *Any woman from the Roman Claudia gens *Claudia (vestal), a Vestal Virgin who protected her father Appius Claudius Pulcher in 143 BC *Claudia Augusta (63–63 AD), infant daughter of Nero by his second ...
m Female Inline speed skating world champion 300 meters, 1990 * Luz Mery Tristan, Female Inline speed skating world champion 5,000 meters, 1990 * Guillermo Leon Botero, Inline speed skating world champion 20,000 meters, 1990 *
Luis Eduardo Moreno Luis Eduardo Moreno Moreno (28 October 1934 – 9 May 1996) was a Colombian preacher, co-founder and 1st Ministry of the Church of God Ministry of Jesus Christ. Commonly known as Brother Luis, he was the first husband of the Colombian Christian ...
, 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 Silvia () is a female given name of Latin origin, with a male equivalent Silvio and English-language cognate Sylvia. The name originates from the Latin word for forest, ''Silva'', and its meaning is "spirit of the wood"; the mythological god of ...
, Multiple Inline speed skating world champion * Diego Rosero, Multiple Inline speed skating world champion * Cecilia Baena, Female Inline speed skating world champion *
Berenice Moreno Berenice ( grc, Βερενίκη, ''Bereníkē'') is the Ancient Macedonian form of the Attic Greek name ''Pherenikē'', which means "bearer of victory" . Berenika, priestess of Demeter in Lete ca. 350 BC, is the oldest epigraphical evidence. ...
, 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 The name Edwin means "rich friend". It comes from the Old English elements "ead" (rich, blessed) and "ƿine" (friend). The original Anglo-Saxon form is Eadƿine, which is also found for Anglo-Saxon figures. People * Edwin of Northumbria (die ...
, Inline speed skating world champion, 1996, 1998 * Anderson Ariza, Inline speed skating world champion, 2002 *
Alexandra Vivas Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "pro ...
, Female Inline speed skating world champion, 10,000 meters (Italy) 2004 *
Nelson Garzon Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Nelson (1918 film), ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * Nelson (1926 film), ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * Nelson (opera), ''N ...
, 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 Carolina Upegui Quevedo (born 16 March 1989) is a Colombian professional racing cyclist Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo ...
, 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 * Martin Cardenas, National Skating Champion 100 m child (Colombia) 2003. * Sara Vallejo World Figure Skating Champion Youth 200 m (Colombia) 2007. * Maria Claudia salazar skating 15,000 m Youth 2007 * Ahmed Hamed 300 m skating world Champion Palestina youth 2007


Motorsports

* Roberto Guerrero, former Formula One and
Indycar INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapolis ...
driver * Martin Cardenas, 250cc
Grand Prix motorcycle racing Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
rider. *
Yonny Hernández Yonny Hernández may refer to: * Yonny Hernández (baseball), (born 1998), Venezuelan professional baseball infielder * Yonny Hernández (motorcyclist) Yonny Hernández Vega (born 25 July 1988) is a Colombian motorcycle racer. He is the older br ...
, MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
rider. Juan Pablo Montoya has been the most successful sportsman in
motorsports Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...
in Colombia, with a career in the
CART A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people. It is different from the flatbed tr ...
(for which he won the 1999 championship), Formula One and of 2006 in the NASCAR, United States.


Basketball

Colombia hosted the 1982 Basketball World Cup, one of the most watched events the country has ever hosted. Since then, the country's basketball team has declined a bit. Throughout the decades, Colombia produced several internationally recognized players such as Juan Palacios, who has played in several of Europe's elite competitions and
Braian Angola Braian Alexander Angola-Rodas (born April 6, 1994) is a Colombian professional basketball player for Pınar Karşıyaka of the Basketbol Süper Ligi. He played college basketball for the Florida State Seminoles. The swingman competed for Findl ...
who recently became the first Colombian player Drafted in the NBA.


Chess

*
Miguel Cuéllar Miguel Cuéllar Gacharná (18 November 1916 – 5 December 1985) was a Colombian chess master from Tinjacá. Cuéllar won the Colombian championship nine times: in 1941, 1946, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, and 1971. He played for Colombia i ...
*
Boris de Greiff Boris de Greiff Bernal (13 February 1930 – 31 October 2011) was a Colombian chess master and writer, born in Medellín and son of the Colombian poet León de Greiff. Student in San Bartolome Mayor School], in 1951, he won the Colombian Ches ...
*
Ilse Guggenberger Ilse D. Guggenberger (née de Caro, born 1 April 1942) is a Colombian chess master. She was the Colombian Chess Championship, Colombian Women's Champion in 1965, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1984. She played six times for Colombia in ...
*
Luis Augusto Sánchez Luis Augusto Sánchez (20 July 1917 – 1981) was a Colombian chess master. He won the Colombian Chess Championship six times (1938, 1947, 1948, 1954, 1958, and 1962). He broke out on the international stage in 1938 by winning the chess tourname ...
*
Alonso Zapata Alonso Zapata Ramirez (born August 22, 1958) is a Colombian chess grandmaster. He is an eight-time Colombian Chess Champion. Chess career Zapata has won the Colombian Chess Championship in 1980, 1981, 1995 (joint), 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, an ...
, Finished Second Youth World Championship 1977, Great Internacional Masters.


Athletics

*
Caterine Ibargüen Caterine Ibargüen Mena Order of Boyaca, ODB (born 12 February 1984) is a retired Colombian Sport of athletics, athlete competing in high jump, long jump and triple jump. Her notable achievements include a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, ...
, Athlete, Gold medal at the
2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
, silver medal in the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, two gold medals in the
IAAF World Championships in Athletics The World Athletics Championships (until 2019 known as the World Championships in Athletics) are a biennial athletics competition organized by World Athletics (formerly IAAF, International Association of Athletics Federations). Alongside the Ol ...
, and two gold medals in the
2011 Pan American Games The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games, was an international multi-sport event that was held from October 14–30, 2011, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Some events were held in the nearby cities of Ciudad Guzmán, ...
and
2015 Pan American Games Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak alb ...
. * Ximena Restrepo, Athletic runner, Bronze medal, 1992 Olympic Games * Luis Fernando López, athlete, bronze medal at the 2011 World Championship in 20 km race walking *
Anthony Zambrano Anthony José Zambrano de la Cruz (born 17 January 1998) is a Colombian sprinter. He won the silver medal at the 2019 World Championships in the 400 metres, setting the new Colombian national record of 44.15 seconds. He was also a finalist of ...
is a sprinter who won silver medals at the
2020 Olympic Games The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the 1 ...
and the
2019 World Athletics Championships The 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships () was the seventeenth edition of the biennial, global athletics competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), since renamed World Athletics. It was held betw ...
in the
400m The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics (sport), athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor runn ...
. *
Sandra Arenas Lorena Arenas Campuzano (born September 17, 1993 in Pereira, Colombia, Pereira, Colombia) is a Colombian racewalking, race walker. She won the silver medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the 20 kilometer race walk. She competed at the 2 ...
won a silver medal in the Women's 20 kilometres walk at the
2020 Olympic Games The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the 1 ...
.


Baseball

* Liga Colombiana de Béisbol Profesional *
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
, Baseball World Cup Champions 1947, 1965 *
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
Gold medal '' Bolivarian Games'' in Lima, Peru, 1947 *
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
Gold medal '' Central American and Caribbean Games'' in
Barranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean Coast region; as of 2018 it had a population of 1,206,319, making it Col ...
, 1946 * Orlando Ramírez, Major League Baseball *
Jackie Gutiérrez Joaquín Fernando "Jackie" Gutiérrez (born June 27, 1960) is a Colombian former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and Philadelphia Phillies, and was the first C ...
, Major League Baseball player * Jolbert Cabrera, Major League Baseball player *
Orlando Cabrera Orlando Luis Cabrera Ramírez, nicknamed "O-Cab" and "The OC", (born November 2, 1974) is a Colombian-American former baseball infielder. He won a World Series championship in 2004 with the Boston Red Sox. He also played for the Montreal Expos ...
, Major League Baseball player (Champion
2004 World Series The 2004 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2004 season. The 100th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the National Leag ...
with Boston Red Sox). * Luis Castro, Major League Baseball player * Édgar Rentería, Major League Baseball player (Champion
1997 World Series The 1997 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1997 season. The 93rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Cleveland Indians and the National L ...
with Florida Marlins and
2010 World Series The 2010 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2010 season. The 106th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Texas Rangers and the Nati ...
with San Francisco Giants). *
Emiliano Fruto Emiliano Ricardo Fruto roo'-toh/small> (born June 6, 1984) is a Colombian former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Seattle Mariners in its 2006 season. Listed at 6' 3" ft. .90 m. 230 lb. 07 k./small>, Fruto batted and ...
, Major League Baseball player, pitcher Seattle Mariners * Ernesto Frieri, Major League Baseball player, pitcher Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim


Bowling

* Jairo Ocampo, Bowling World Champion, 1974 *
Armando Mariño Armando Mariño (born 1968) is a Cuban artist. He works with oil and watercolour and is known for his strong, vibrant and intense palette. He is the holder of many awards including the Segundo Premio, Salón Nacional de Arte contemporáneo Cubano ...
, Bowling World Champion, 1983 * Clara Juliana Guerrero, Female Bowling World Champion, 2003, 2006, and 2009 * Luz Adriana Leal, bronze medal at the 1995 World Championship * Sara Vargas, World Ranking Masters Champion * Paola Gómez, bronze medal at the 2011 World Championship * Andrés Gómez, Professional title holder * Manuel Otalora, World Games Champion in 2009 * Anggie Ramírez, World Games Silver medalist in 2009 and 2013 Ibero-American Champion * Laura Fonnegra, Gold Medalist at the 2010 World Youth Championship * Santiago Mejía, Pan American Gold Medalist * Juan Francisco Gómez, Pan-American Gold Medalist * Juliana Franco Arango, Bronze medal at the 2012 World Youth Championship and Pan-American Gold Medalist


Golf

Currently, Camilo Villegas is the most recognized Colombian golfer in the world. He has been a PGA Tour 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. Marisa Baena was the inaugural champion of the
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 2007 the event moved to ...
in 2005. Camilo Benedetti, Diego Vanegas, and Manuel "Manny" Villegas (the younger brother of Camilo Villegas) are currently playing professional golf in the United States on the
Nationwide Tour The Korn Ferry Tour is the developmental golf tour, tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either not yet reached the PGA Tour, or who have done so but then failed to win enough FedEx Cup points to stay at tha ...
, with hopes of eventually graduating to the PGA Tour. David Vanegas is playing on the equivalent Challenge Tour with the prospect of promotion to the European Tour.


Weightlifting

*
María Isabel Urrutia María Isabel Urrutia Ocoró (born 25 March 1965) is a former Olympic weightlifting, weightlifter, athlete and politician from Colombia. She won the first ever gold medal for Colombia at the Summer Olympic G ...
, female weightlifter, multiple times world champion and gold medal,
2000 Olympic Games The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...
* Óscar Figueroa, male weightlifter, Figueroa won Olympic Gold at the
2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
, silver medal winner at the
2012 Olympic Games The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, silver medal winner at the 2006 Santo Domingo, gold medal winner at the 2008 Callao * Mabel Mosquera, female weightlifter, bronze medal,
2004 Olympic Games The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
*
Diego Fernando Salazar Diego Fernando Salazar Quintero (born 3 October 1980) is a Colombian weightlifter, Olympic medalist and two times gold medal winner at the Pan American Games. He was born in Baranquilla. Salazar participated in the men's -62 kg class at ...
, male weightlifter, silver medal,
2008 Olympic Games The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...


Olympic wrestling

* Albeiro García, World Champion
Greco-Roman wrestling Greco-Roman (American English), Graeco-Roman (British English), classic wrestling (Euro English) or French wrestling (in Russia until 1948) is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first mod ...
,
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
, 1980 * Joselio Mosquera, World Champion
Greco-Roman wrestling Greco-Roman (American English), Graeco-Roman (British English), classic wrestling (Euro English) or French wrestling (in Russia until 1948) is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first mod ...
*
Jackeline Rentería Jackeline Rentería Castillo (born February 23, 1986 in Cali, Colombia) is a female wrestler from Colombia. She won a bronze medal in the women's freestyle 55 kg at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and repeated the feat in the women's freestyle 55 ...
- 2008 and 2012 Olympics - Women's Freestyle - Bronze - 55 kg


Rugby League

Although Rugby league is a minor sport in Colombia they have a national team.


Tennis

* Santiago Giraldo, professional tennis player * Alejandro Falla, professional tennis player * Juan Sebastián Cabal, professional tennis player *
Robert Farah Maksoud Robert Charbel Farah Maksoud (; born 20 January 1987) is a Colombian professional tennis player, who is a former world No. 1 in doubles. He reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 163 in June 2011, but has achieved most of his success in ...
, professional tennis player *
Mauricio Hadad Mauricio Hadad (born 7 December 1971) is a former tennis player from Colombia and former captain of the Colombia Davis Cup Team. Hadad is of Lebanese background. The right-hander turned pro in 1988 and reached his highest individual ranking on ...
, professional tennis player *
Fabiola Zuluaga Fabiola Zuluaga (born 7 January 1979) is a retired tennis player from Colombia. She reached the Australian Open semifinals in 2004 and became the first Colombian tennis player to reach a Grand Slam semifinal. Zuluaga is one of the most successfu ...
, female professional tennis player *
Catalina Castaño Catalina Castaño Álvarez (; born 7 July 1979) is a retired Colombian professional tennis player. Her highest singles ranking of 35 she achieved in 2006. In her career, she won ten titles on the ITF Circuit, six in singles, as well as one ...
, female professional tennis player * Mariana Duque, Female Professional tennis player (as of 2016 current no.1 female tennis player in Colombia)


Shooting

* Helmut Bellingrodt, Shooting world champion,
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
,
1984 Olympic Games The 1984 Olympics may refer to: *The 1984 Winter Olympics, which were held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia *The 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an intern ...
* Bernardo Tovar, Automatic pistol world champion in Moscow 1990 and seven-time champion of in pistol, fast shooting, and automatic pistol.


Winter sports

The skating federation has started to develop ice sports, including
bandy Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two teams wearing ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal. The international governing body for bandy is ...
, ice hockey

short track speed skating, short track

and long track speed skating, speed skating


Tejo

Tejo (sport), Tejo is the national sport of Colombia.


Beach volleyball

Colombia featured a women's national team in
beach volleyball Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two or more players on a sand court divided by a net. Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side of the ...
that competed at the
2018–2020 CSV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup The 2018–2020 CSV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup were a beach volleyball double-gender event. Teams from South American countries were split into groups of four, where an elimination bracket determined the 2 teams to advance to the next stage ...
.


Climbing

Colombia is also a popular destination for technical rock climbing, with opportunities for bouldering, sport climbing, trad climbing and a mix of styles. The town of Suesca is surrounded by established rock climbs and draws climbers from all over the world.


Athletes in other sports

*
Yuri Alvear Yuri Alvear Orejuela (born 29 March 1986) is a Colombian judoka, three times World Champion in her division. Early life Yuri was born in Jamundí which is a suburb of Cali, the third largest city in Colombia. Her father Arnuy is a builder a ...
, female judoka, Bronze medal winner at
2012 Olympic Games The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, 3 time World Champion *
Óscar Muñoz Óscar Luis Muñoz Oviedo (born 9 May 1993) is a Colombian taekwondo practitioner who won a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the -58 kg weight class. This was the fifth Olympic medal for Colombia at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and ...
, taekwondoka, Bronze medal winner at
2012 Olympic Games The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
* Orlando Duque, High Diving World Champion * Natalia Sánchez, archer, World Championship bronze medalist *
Mauricio Rivas Mauricio Rivas (born 1 June 1964) is a Colombian fencer. He competed in the épée events at the 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 20 ...
, fencer, World Championship bronze medalist


Medals by Games

* ''As of the
2019 Parapan American Games The 2019 Parapan American Games ( es, Juegos Parapanamericanos de 2019, links=no), officially the VI Pan American Games and commonly known as the Lima 2019 ParaPan-Am Games, was an international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, ...
''


Global Games


Regional Games


Sub Regional Games


Inter Regional Games


See also

*
Colombia at the Olympics Colombia first formally participated at the Olympic Games in 1932, and has sent athletes to compete in all but one edition of the Summer Olympic Games since then, missing only the 1952 Games. Colombian athletes have won a total of 34 Olympic ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sport In Colombia