Sports in Colombia - From Baseball To Weightlifting!

">city-won the right to host the 1975 FINA World
Road to the 2012 London Olympics!Championships, one of the most important sports
Maria Isabel Urrutiaevents on the planet. Cali became the second city to
Did you know- Colombia fulfilled a dream nurtured forhost the FINA Championships, after Belgrado
decades when the country's athlete Maria Isabel(Yugoslavia, 1973). Four years prior to the Swimming
Urrutia won the gold medal in the Summer OlympicWorld Championships, Cali had hosted the VI Pan
Games of Sydney 2000. Colombia, from Cali toAmerican Games, the continent's largest multi-sports
Manizales, celebrated its first ever Olympic title. Sheevent.
also became the first Colombian woman to win anCentral American and Caribbean Games
Olympic gold medal. She was born on March 25, 1965,Did you know- The V Central American and
in Candelaria, Valle del Cauca.Caribbean Games were held in Barranquilla, Colombia,
Baseballin the mid-1940s. Thirteen countries and territories sent
Did you know- By the late 1940s, Colombia created1,542 athletes to the Games. In Barranquilla, the
Latin American baseball history by winning the WorldNetherlands Antilles, Dominican Republic and Trinidad
Cup; its first global tournament and the fourth by aTobago made their Caribbean debut. By 1978, once
team from South America (Venezuela wonagain, Colombia hosted the Caribbean Games.
international championship three times, 1941,1944, andOlympic Soccer Tournament
1945). After that event, this Spanish-speaking nationDid you know- By 1972, the team from Colombia
won once again in the mid-1960s.In addition, the nationalfinished in 15th place in the men's soccer in the Olympic
team earned a gold medal in the Central AmericanGames of Munich (West Germany). The national team
and Caribbean Games in the mid-40s. By 1976, for thealso participated in Mexico '68 (9th), Moscow'80 (10th),
third time, Colombia hosted the Baseball World Cup.and Barcelona'92 (11st).
SportswomenPablo Restrepo
Did you know- This Spanish-speaking nation has manyDid you know- By 1979, the nation's swimmer Pablo
popular sportswomen: Jackeline Renteria (wrestling),Restrepo, an American-trained athlete, was named as
Norfalia Carabali (track and field), Ximena Restrepothe best athlete of the year in Colombia. In the 1979
(athletics), Maria Morales (triathlon), Fernanda MosqueraPan American Games, he won a bronze medal in the
(athletics), Olga Lucia Angulo (swimming), Sofia Nieto (men's 200m breaststroke and then was finalist at the
basketball), Mabel Mosquera (weightlifting), Maria CalleFINA World Cup. Mr Restrepo was born on May 21,
(cycling), and Maria Isabel Urrutia (weightlifting),1960, in Medellin.
Host CountrySports
Did you know- The nation has been selected to hostDid you know- The nation's most popular sports are
the FIFA Under-20 World Championship in 2011.soccer, cycling, swimming, shooting, baseball, boxing,
1975 FINA World Championshipsathletics, and weightlifting.
Did you know- Cali -which is Colombia's third largest