Colombian athletes earn medals and expand youth sports programs

The Boyacá under‑20 athletics team secured two silver medals (Mariana Prieto in the 3,000‑metre hurdles and Meyer Valderrama in the 1,500‑metre) and a bronze (Meyer Valderrama in the 5,000 metres) at the National Championships in Cali. The squad suffered a setback when top hurdler Erika Torres withdrew after a injury.

World‑champion weightlifters Francisco “Pacho” Mosquera and Rusmeris Villar have joined Cartagena’s Instituto Distrital de Deporte y Recreación (IDER) as mentors for its Initiation and Training Schools, part of the mayor’s plan to strengthen youth sport development.

Athletes from Bogotá contributed to Colombia’s success at the II Parasuramerican Games in Valledupar 2026, winning gold in men’s wheelchair basketball and adding numerous medals across paracycling, parapowerlifting, table‑tennis and sitting volleyball.