Anthony Zambrano, the first Colombian to win a medal in the 400-meter athletic event at the Olympic Games.

Match the participation of Rio 2016 Olympics, in which Colombia occupied the position number 23, with eight medals of which three were gold, was the objective for the jousts that took place in Such. However, on July 8, when the highest sport event on the planet concluded, the country did not meet expectations. Here, a balance.

More money was invested, but the medals were less

In Rio 2016, the best participation of Colombia in the history of the Olympics, the country had 147 participants in 23 sports. Meanwhile, 71 competed in Tokyo, that is, less than half of the number in past jousts.

Although participating with more athletes does not necessarily represent the achievement of a greater number of medals, the failure is that the Colombian presence in Tokyo was invested three times more than in Rio, according to the Ministry of Sports.

While in the Government of Juan Manuel Santos $ 13,000 million were invested for the Olympic Games, during the term of Iván Duque the figure increased to $ 43,000 million, according to the Ministry of Sports: “$ 25,000 million in 2020 and $ 18,000 million in 2021, in participation in qualifying events for the Tokyo Olympic Games, sports implementation, ergogenic aids, policies, insurance, concentrations, among others ”.

Despite the investment, in Tokyo Colombia achieved three medals less than in Rio: four silver and one bronze, occupying position 65, in Latin America surpassed by Brazil (12), Cuba (14) Ecuador (38) and Venezuela ( 46).

Those who won money were Luis Javier Mosquera (Weightlifting), Mariana Pajon (BMX), Anthony Tapia (Athletics – 400 m) and Sandra Arenas (20 km walk). On the other hand, just like in the last Olympiad, Carlos Ramirez got bronze.

The favorites that didn’t reach their goal

The hope of a gold medal for Colombia fell, among others, in Juan Sebastian Cabal Y Robert Farah, the champion tennis duo at Wimbledon 2019 and the US Open 2019. Although they reached the quarterfinals, signing the best performance of the country in this sport in the Olympic Games, they lost against Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus, a couple of New Zealanders .

Among the favorites to a gold medal also stood out Mercedes Pérez, in weightlifting, although for the second time in an Olympic event she placed fourth. The boxer was also part of that list Yuberjen Martinez, silver medal in Rio, to whom four of the five judges snatched the possibility of reaching the semifinal: they unfairly gave the winner of the quarterfinal match to the Japanese Ryomei Tanaka, who came out of ring wheelchair bound.

Jul 30, 2021. Photo Mariana Pajón, silver in BMX cycling, speaking with British Bethany, who won gold at the Tokyo Games. REUTERS / Christian Hartmann

Jul 30, 2021. Photo Mariana Pajón, silver in BMX cycling, speaking with British Bethany, who won gold at the Tokyo Games. REUTERS / Christian Hartmann

A Mariana Pajon, the BMX queen there is nothing to complain about, especially when he arrived in Tokyo after a hard recovery from a torn cruciate ligament in one of his knees. However, for the Colombian people it was one of the favorites to gold, and almost won it: literally by one tire it was defeated by the British Bethany Shriever.

13 Olympic diplomas for Colombia

In Tokyo, Colombia obtained 13 Olympic diplomas, one less than in Rio. Rigoberto Urán obtained two of these recognitions, finishing eighth in both the time trial and the road test. The other award-winning athletes were: Mauricio Ortega, Jenny Arias, Céiber Ávila, Ingrit Valencia, Yuberjen Martínez, Juan Sebastián Muñoz, Andrea Ramírez, Santiago Rodallegas, Mercedes Pérez and Kevin Santiago Quintero, as well as Juan Sebastián Farah and Robert Farah.

Rigoberto Urán obtained two Olympic diplomas in Tokyo, being twice eighth, in the road event and the individual time trial.

Rigoberto Urán obtained two Olympic diplomas in Tokyo, being twice eighth, in the road event and the individual time trial.

From now on, they are among the favorites to represent the country in Paris 2024 Anthony Zambrano, Luis Javier Mosquera (bronze in Rio) and Mauricio Ortega (seventh in the album launch.

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