Colombia closed its participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with four medals (three silver and one bronze). That is to say, the overall level was maintained, being only one medal below what was obtained in the games four years ago in Tokyo.
(Read more: Beyond the podium: the seven sporting milestones of the Paris Olympic Games)
And while this is a great victory for the national delegation, It does suggest the need to give more impetus to Colombian talent.
In fact, some athletes have mentioned the lack of support that sports are receiving in Colombia. Some of these voices include: Francisco Mosquera, Tatiana Renteria, Fernando Gaviria, among others.
In Mosquera’s case, the Colombian weightlifter was seen as one of the strongest candidates for this year’s Olympics. However, due to a notification of an adverse anti-doping test, he was left out of the sporting event.
The athlete has pointed out that he has not received the same support since then. “I don’t understand why I am where I am or why the hell what is happening is happening. It is very hard and I think that Yeison Lopez’s tears are a relief because everyone turns their back on you, except your family, but the institutions are set aside. You are no longer important, the champion, and you simply stop being that figure regardless of whether you are a good person. They totally ignore you.”he stressed.
Mosquera, who was world weightlifting champion in 2017, also mentioned that “The country is not doing anything to protect us, neither the Federation, nor the Colombian Olympic Committee, nor the Ministry of Sport.”
(More news: The sports that have given Colombia its 38 Olympic medals)
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(See: The countries that best reward their Olympic athletes for winning gold medals)
Another person who has spoken out on the subject is recent Olympic medalist Tatiana Rentería. After finishing her participation in the Olympic Games and winning a bronze medal in the women’s wrestling event (76 kg), the wrestler felt that she needed more help to leave the country to compete and start preparing for the Olympics earlier.
“With little support and few opportunities to go abroad to prepare for these Games, I managed to win a bronze medal. Can you imagine what would happen if we had more support?”he indicated.
Along the same lines, the Colombian cyclist Fernando Gaviria declared “Hope that the support of the Committee and the Federation will come from much earlier, not just from the last year of qualification.”
It is also worth remembering that a few days ago The Ministry of Sport confirmed a cut in the 2025 budgetThis is part of the measures that the National Government has been taking to address the country’s fiscal situation.
(Read more: How much do Colombians spend on average on sports and music tourism?)
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