Colombia - Women & Sports!

">(Czech Republic) in 2007. Since then, she should be a
Road to London 2012!medal contender in the 2012 London Olympics.
Ximena Restrepo GaviriaOlga Lucia Angulo
Did you know- By the early 1990s, Colombia's sprinterDid you know- At the 1970 Central American and
Ximena Restrepo Gaviria caused a sensation whenCaribbean Games in Panama City, Colombia's
she earned a bronze medal in the women's 400m atswimmer Olga Lucia Angulo won two gold medals.
the Summer Games in the Spaniard city of Barcelona.Basketball
She is one of the few Hispanic sprinters to win anDid you know- Colombia hosted the Women's
Olympic medal. Inspired by Juana Mosquera andBasketball World Championship in the mid-1970s.
Eucaris Caicedo, she won many international events inDespite having one of the best basketball players in
America, South America and Europe during the yearsLatin America, Sofia Nieto, the local team lost all six of
from 1985 and 1992. In that time, Colombia's Olympicits matches. At that year, they came in sixth place in
ambassador Restrepo Gaviria was the toast of thethe 7th Pan American Games, behind America,
Latin American sporting community.By SeptemberMexico, Cuba, Brazil, and Canada. During the Games in
1988, she came in 34th place, ahead of Joycethe United Mexican States, Colombia beat El Salvador
Odhiambo (Kenya, Africa) and Gaily Dube (Zimbabwe,96-59. Nine years later, surprisingly, Colombia defeated
Africa), in the women's 200m in the Summer Games inBrazil 62-51 and won the South American
South Korea, among 51 athletes. After her retirementChampionship. By 1983, the team of Brazil had won the
from the national team, South America's sprintersbronze medal in women's basketball at the 9th Pan
were never as successful again at the SummerAmerican Games in Venezuela. The South American
Olympic Games.winners, under the direction of Guillermo Moreno
Alicia Mora RomeroRumie, were Consuelo Aristazabal, Maria de Jesús
Did you know- By 2004, the nation's athlete Alicia MoraArizala, Gloria Gomez, Elizabeth Hinestroza, Irene
Romero came in fifth place in the women'sLamprea, Miriam León, Norma Lozano, Margarita
49-kilogram category at the Olympic TaekwondoMarti, Patricia Ordoñez, Gloria Ortiz, Yaneth Torijano,
Tournament in Athens (Greece).and Monica Villasmil. The women's basketball squad of
Leidy Yessenia SolisColombia is the sixth South American team to win the
Did you know- Weightlifter Leidy Yessenia Solis, 17,Continental Tournament, after Chile (1946), Argentina
won the gold medal in the women's 69-kilogram(1948), Paraguay (1952), Brazil (1954), and Peru (1977).
category at the Junior World Championships in Prague