Further Personal Information |
Higher education |
Administration Studies - University Santiago de Cali: Colombia |
Sport Specific Information |
Why this sport? |
A coach at his school encouraged him to try weightlifting. |
When and where did you begin this sport? |
He took up the sport at age 11 in Cartago, Colombia. |
General Interest |
Injuries |
An injury to his right leg meant he had to withdraw from the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. (colombia.as.com, 28 Jul 2019)
A muscle injury prevented him from competing at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, Colombia. (caracol.com.co, 22 Jul 2018; co.marca.com, 24 Jul 2018)
In January 2016 he underwent back surgery to treat a chronic lumbar hernia, which he had sustained five years earlier. He recovered three months later to compete at the 2016 Olympic Test Event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Olympic YouTube channel, 30 Mar 2017; rio2016.com, 10 Apr 2016; noticias.caracoltv.com, 25 Jan 2016) |
Further Personal Information |
Languages |
Spanish |
General Interest |
Most influential person in career |
His family. (espndeportes.espn.go.com, 12 Jul 2015) |
Further Personal Information |
Family |
Two daughters |
Residence |
Cali, COL |
General Interest |
Hobbies |
Spending time in nature, meditation. (rio2016.com, 07 Apr 2016) |
Sporting philosophy / motto |
"You need to have guts when you are up against it. You need a dream, a goal and above all your family." (bienestarcolsanitas.com, 01 Mar 2017; rio2016.com, 07 Apr 2016) |
Other information |
RETIREMENT AND RETURN After winning the gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, he announced his retirement from the sport. However, he returned to training in 2018 with the aim of competing at the 2018 World Championships in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. "I'm feeling stronger now [at 33 years old] than when I was 20, why should I retire?" (noticias.caracoltv.com, 05 Oct 2018; iwf.net, 12 May 2018; zonacero.com, 22 Jul 2017)
EARLY DAYS At age nine he and his family were forced to leave their home in Zaragoza, Colombia, due to conflicts between military forces and guerrilla fighters. The family moved to the city of Cartago. "That marked us at the time, but it's part of our past now." (elpais.com.co, 26 Apr 2016; rio2016.com, 07 Apr 2016) |
Sport Specific Information |
Club / Team |
Valle del Cauca: Colombia |
General Interest |
Memorable sporting achievement |
Winning gold in the 62kg category at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (noticias.canalrcn.com, 08 Aug 2016) |
Ambitions |
To win a medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (zonacero.com, 22 Jul 2017) |
Awards and honours |
In 2017 he received the Farallon Award as the Best Male High Performance Athlete of the municipality of Cali in Colombia. (eltiempo.com, 16 Dec 2017)
He was presented with the Altius Award by the Colombian Olympic Committee after winning gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (elpais.com.co, 12 Dec 2016)
He received the Golden Terraco Award as the Best Athlete of 2016 of the Valle del Cauca Department in Colombia. (coldeportes.gov.co, 28 Jun 2018)
In 2016 he was named Sportsman of the Year by the Colombian Association of Sports Journalists [ACORD]. (laopinion.com.co, 17 Mar 2017) |
Sport Specific Information |
Name of coach |
Jaiber Manjarres [club]; Oswaldo Pinilla [national], COL |
Further Personal Information |
Occupation |
Athlete |
General Interest |
Milestones |
He became the first male Colombian athlete from any sport to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games when he claimed victory in the 62kg category at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 08 Aug 2016) |