The head of Colombia’s Olympic mission said Friday the country can achieve a record four medals in London.
“Colombian sport has been greatly professionalized in recent years. For that reason, we believe we can surpass our historic record(…) and win four at these Games,” the head of Colombia’s Olympic mission, Ciro Solano, said Thursday.
Of the 104 Colombian athletes that will compete in London, Solano believes around eight or nine are serious contenders for the podium. Archery, judo and mountain biking are traditionally Colombia’s strongest sports at the Olympics.
Colombia first participated in the Olympics at the 1932 Olympics and has won 11 medals since then. Maria Isabel Urrutia’s weightlifting victory at the 2000 Sydney Games garnered the nation’s first and only gold medal.
The London 2012 will be the first time Colombia has fielded more than 100 athletes. By comparison, only 37 Colombians competed in Beijing four years ago.
In June, the President of the Colombian Olympic Committee, Baltazar Medina, announced cyclist, Mariana Pajon, as the flag-bearer for the opening ceremony. “I’m going to London with the goal of getting a gold medal. These are my first Olympics and I will do my best,” said Pajon Thursday.
The 2012 Summer Olympics run from July 27 to August 12.