Colombia’s Favorites for Gold at the Paralympic Games

Since Toronto 1980, the first edition of the Paralympic Games, Colombia has been participating as a delegation. Over the years he has achieved a total of 23 medals: 3 golds, 8 silvers, and 12 bronzes. His best participation was in Rio 2016 with 11 medals: 2 gold, 5 silver, and 5 bronze. For Tokyo 2020 it is expected to have the best results in the history of the delegation, as there will be 69 members of the delegation between 61 athletes and 8 guides. Next, we leave the 5 for the most important Colombian athletes of the moment.

Moises Fuentes Garcia

It is undoubtedly the most important para-athlete in Colombia in its history. He is a swimmer and has been a medalist in three different Paralympic Games: bronze in Beijing 2008, silver in London 2012, and bronze in Rio 2016.

His specialty is the 100 m breaststroke SB4. With this modality, he reached three Olympic medals, 18 Pan-American medals – he has been participating from Mexico 1999 to Lima 2019 – and 6 world medals in which he has reaped 1 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze.

His career dates back to 1995 and with Tokyo 2020 he will participate in his sixth Paralympic Games after his debut in Sydney 2000.

Also read: The Most Successful Colombians in the Vuelta a España

Angelica Bernal Villalobos

He is currently number 8 in the world ranking of wheelchair tennis. She also became the first Colombian to compete in the 4 'Grand Slam' (Wimbledon, Roland Garros, US Open, and Australian Open) in the wheelchair modality.

Now, the Bogota woman will play another edition of the Paralympic Games after having achieved an Olympic diploma in London 2012 and her participation in Rio 2016. Angélica has just been crowned champion of the Parapan American Games in Lima 2019.

Mauricio Valencia Campo

It is so far the first gold medal in an athletic sport that Colombia has in the history of the Paralympic Games. The native of Villavicencio and based in Cali reached that medal in Rio 2016 in javelin throw category F34 and in those same games he took the bronze medal in shot put. Now in Tokyo 2020, he wants to improve his record.

Since 2012 he has been a professional and in addition to becoming a Paralympic champion, he has also been a South American and Parapan American champion.

Carlos Serrano

At just 18 years old, he became champion, runner-up, and third place in the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016. At the moment he is one of the winning cards of Colombia in the para-swimming for Tokyo 2020. He got gold in 100 m breaststroke SB7, silver in the S7 freestyle 100m, and bronze in the S7 freestyle 50m.

He comes from being Parapan American champion and world champion after the gold medal obtained in Lignano, Italy.

Nelson Crispin

Like Carlos Serrano, he is also one of the most important figures in para-swimming in the S6 category. In Rio 2016 she was able to be a silver medal on three occasions with the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, and 100m breaststroke events.

He comes from getting 5 gold medals, one silver, and one bronze in the Parapan American Games in Lima 2019. The Santander is looking for his Paralympic revenge to take gold in Tokyo 2020.

Daniela Carolina Munevar

She became the first woman to qualify for a Paralympic Games in para-cycling. He did it for Tokyo 2020 where he hopes to debut in the Paralympic medal table with a gold medal.

The Boyacense has known how to be multiple World Cup champions in para-cycling at the CRI and also on the road. Her last great triumph was this year at the Road World Championship in Cascais, Portugal, where she finished first. He has also been a national and Pan American medalist.

For Tokyo 2020, Colombia will participate in sports such as wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, swimming, cycling, athletics, boccia, powerlifting, archery, and table tennis.