Ibargüen Wins Gold in the Triple Jump at the 2016 Rio Games

2016 Rio Games

Caterine Ibargüen has extra reason to (triple) jump for joy…

The 32-year-old Colombian track & field star leapt 15.17 meters (49’9.25) to win the gold medal in the Women’s Triple Jump on Sunday night at the 2016 Rio Games, improving on her silver medal from the 2012 London Games.

Caterine Ibargüen

Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela won the silver with a jump of 14.98 meters and Kazakhstan’s Olga Rypakova finished third with a leap of 14.74 meters.

Rypakova won the event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London with a leap of 14.98 meters, beating out Ibargüen, who leapt 14.80 meters. Ibargüen won the world title in 2015 in Beijing with a leap of 14.90 meters. She didn’t quite match her personal best of 15.31 meters, but it was good enough for gold on Sunday.

Ibargüen jumped 15.03 meters in the second round, but improved upon it with a 15.17-meter leap in the fourth round. She never looked back, as no other jumper was able to clear the 15-meter mark.

Ibargüen Gives Colombia Its First-Ever Gold Medal in the Women’s Triple Jump

She may have had to settle for silver at the 2012 London Games… But that wasn’t the case this time around for Caterine Ibargüen.

The 29-year-old Colombian track star prevailed in the women’s triple jump on Thursday at the IAAF World Athletic Championships, giving her country its first-ever international title in the sport.

Caterine Ibargüen

Ibargüen, who was unbeaten this year coming into the contest at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, took the gold medal with a leap of 14.85 meters, a margin of 4 centimeters over Russia’s Ekaterina Koneva.

Ukrainian jumper Olha Saladuha picked up the bronze medal.

The reigning Olympic gold medalist, Olga Rypakova of Kazakhstan, did not compete.

Saladuha, winner of the bronze medal in London and the defending European champion, was favored ahead of Thursday’s heats, though Ibargüen had beaten the Ukrainian all four times the two women faced each other this year.

“I have great support from all Colombia, from the Olympic Committee, from the Federation, and even more from the excellent coach I have now, Ubaldo Duani. He has created a lot of confidence in me and has given me an incredible mental strength,” said Ibargüen.

“Gold for Caterine, who shines from Moscow in the World Athletic Championship,” Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Twitter.

“Historic for Colombia, what pride,” the president tweeted.

Muñoz Claims a Bronze in Men’s Taekwondo at the London Games

London Olympics 2012

The first time’s a charm for teen taekwondo sensation Oscar Muñoz Oviedo at the 2012 Olympic Games

Following a tough loss to eventual champion Joel González of Spain, the 19-year-old Colombian fighter—competing in his first Olympics—beat Thailand’s Pen-Ek Karaket on Wednesday to take home the bronze medal in the men’s under-58kg taekwondo final at the London Games.

Oscar Munoz Oviedo

Muñoz and Karaket closed out the first round tied at zero, but the Colombiano closed the second round by a score of 3-1.

And Muñoz came away with the victory after he successfully challenged a last second three-point kick. The judges penalized the Thai fighter for an illegal blow in the third round, which helped seal Muñoz 6-4 win.

“It was a very difficult fight; at the end I was able to solve it,” said Muñoz, insisting that he never lost confidence that “everything was going to come out fine.”

 

Muñoz’s medal sets Colombia’s medal count at the 2012 Olympic Games at five, two silver and three bronze. That improves on the country’s all-time record for most medals in a single Games that was already set after Caterine Ibarguen medal-winning performance in  the triple jump on Sunday.

“Thanks to God I have been able to obtain this victory, a medal I have wanted for Colombia so long,” said Muñoz after the fight.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos congratulated his country’s latest Olympic victor on Twitter. “What pride for Valledupar!” said the president.

Ibargüen Gives Colombia Its First Olympic Track Medal in 20 Years

London Olympics 2012

Talk about saving the best for last…

Caterine Ibargüen claimed the silver medal in the women’s triple jump at the 2012 Olympic Games with a 14.80 meter jump on her last attempt in the finals on Sunday at the London Games.

Caterine Ibargüen

The 28-year-old Colombian track star—who won the bronze at last year’s world championships in Daegu, South Korea—had maintained the second place position most of the night before pre-Olympics favorite Olha Saladuha of Ukraine pushed past her on her last jump of 14.79 meters.

Not to be outdone, Ibargüen went one centimeter better than Saladuha in her last attempt to reclaim second place and push Saladuha into the bronze medal position.

Caterine Ibargüen
Kazakhstan’s Olga Rypakova—who had claimed the silver at last year’s world championships—claimed the gold with a leap of 14.98 meters.

Ibarguen— who began her athletic career 12 years ago and convinced her paternal grandmother and legal guardian to take her to Medellin at age 14 to train, helped give Colombia its first medal in track & field in 20 years. By taking home the silver, she improved on Ximena Restrepo’s bronze medal performance at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.