Colombia at the 2018 Winter Olympics

Colombia competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, from 9 to 25 February 2018. The country returned to the Winter Olympics after last competing in 2010, which also marked its debut. The Colombian team consisted of three males and one female, competing in three different sports.[1][2]

Colombia at the
2018 Winter Olympics
IOC codeCOL
NOCColombian Olympic Committee
Websitewww.olimpicocol.co (in Spanish)
in Pyeongchang, South Korea
9–25 February 2018
Competitors4 in 3 sports
Flag bearer Pedro Causil (opening)
Medals
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
0
Total
0
Winter Olympics appearances (overview)

Competitors

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The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Colombian delegation per sport.

Sport Men Women Total
Alpine skiing 1 0 1
Cross-country skiing 1 0 1
Speed skating 1 1 2
Total 3 1 4

Alpine skiing

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Colombia qualified one male athlete, Michael Poettoz.[3] Poettoz was born in Cali and was adopted by a French family when he was aged 21 months. Poettoz grew up and learned how to ski in Les Carroz d'Araches, France. Poettoz also represented the country at the Winter Youth Olympics in 2016 in Lillehammer, Norway.[4] Poettoz's upbringing is similar to Madagascar's Mialitiana Clerc, who also qualified to compete at the 2018 Games.

Athlete Event Run 1 Run 2 Total
Time Rank Time Rank Time Behind Rank
Michael Poettoz Men's slalom 57.46 44 1:00.00 37 1:57.46 +18.47 37
Men's giant slalom 1:21.41 73 DNF

Cross-country skiing

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Colombia qualified one male athlete, Sebastián Uprimny.[5] Uprimny was born to Colombian parents in Paris, France.[6][7] Colombia made its Winter Olympics debut in the sport.

Distance
Athlete Event Final
Time Deficit Rank
Sebastián Uprimny Men's 15 km freestyle 58:08.1 +24:24.2 115

Speed skating

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Pedro Causil (far left) pictured on the podium after winning a silver medal in the men's 200 metres time-trial roller speed skating event at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, represented the country in two speed skating events

Colombia is one of the strongest nations in inline speed skating, as it was the overall champion since 2010 at the World Roller Speed Skating Championships. However the sport is not on the Olympic program. In 2015, the Colombian Federation of Inline Skating was approved by the International Skating Union to become a member in the (ice) speed skating branch, allowing the nation the possibility to qualify for the Winter Olympics.[8] One Colombian male skater won a provisional quota spot in the men's 500 m and 1000 m event.[9][10] Causil was the first speed skater from South America to compete at the Winter Olympics, also marking Colombia's debut in the sport.[11][12][13] Colombia was later reallocated a spot for a female speed skater in the women's mass start. This was because of the reallocation of quotas from Russian athletes.[2]

Individual
Athlete Event Race
Time Rank
Pedro Causil Men's 500 m 35.196 20
Men's 1000 m 1:10.71 34
Mass start
Athlete Event Semifinal Final
Points Time Rank Points Time Rank
Laura Gómez Women's mass start 0 8:54.99 10 Did not advance

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ordóñez Olano, Luis Guillermo (10 January 2018). "Los tres colombianos en los Olímpicos de Invierno" [The three Colombians in the Winter Olympics]. El Espectador (in Spanish). Bogotá, Colombia. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Laura Gómez, cuarta colombiana clasificada a los Olímpicos de Invierno" [Laura Gómez, fourth Colombian qualified to the Winter Olympics]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). Bogota, Colombia. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  3. ^ "Alpine Skiing Quota List for Olympic Games 2018". www.data.fis-ski.com/. International Ski Federation (FIS). 5 December 2017. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Michael Poettoz – The first ever Colombian at the Winter Youth Olympics!". International Olympic Committee. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Cross-country Skiing Quota List for Olympic Games 2018". www.data.fis-ski.com/. International Ski Federation (FIS). 3 January 2018. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Sebastián Uprimny, tercer colombiano en los Olímpicos de Invierno" [Sebastián Uprimny, third Colombian in the Winter Olympics]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). Bogota, Colombia. 29 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Sebastián Uprimny representará a Colombia en los Olímpicos de Pyeongchang" [Sebastián Uprimny will represent Colombia at the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang]. W Radio (in Spanish). Bogota, Colombia. 2 January 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  8. ^ Huigen, Freek (16 November 2016). "Colombia skates to winter Olympic opportunity". The Bogota Post. Bogota, Colombia. Archived from the original on 9 December 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Pedro Causil, el primer patinador colombiano en clasificar Juegos Olímpicos de invierno" [Pedro Causil, the first Colombian skater to classify Olympic Winter Games]. www.semana.com/ (in Spanish). Semana. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Communication No. 2136: XXIII Olympic Winter Games 2018 PyeongChang Entries Speed Skating". www.isu.org/. International Skating Union (ISU). 20 December 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  11. ^ Arana, Javier (11 December 2017). "'Cumplí mi palabra de clasificar a los Olímpicos de Invierno': Causil" ['I fulfilled my word to classify the Winter Olympics': Causil]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). Bogota, Colombia. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Record number of nations in Olympic Speed Skating". www.isu.org/. International Skating Union (ISU). 22 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  13. ^ Morgan, Liam (23 December 2017). "Colombia join record number of nations set to compete in speed skating at Pyeongchang 2018". Insidethegames.biz. Dunsar Media. Retrieved 2 January 2018.