Colombia has already added world titles in speed skating and inline downhill to its international roller-skating record at the World Skate Games Asuncion 2026, with more competitions underway in Paraguay. The delegation has collected multiple gold medals, a world record and a clean sweep of the men’s inline downhill podium as it pursues further success before the Games close on Oct. 18.
The speed-skating campaign has produced several of Colombia’s latest victories. Santiago Vasquez Villarreal broke the world record in the senior men’s 200-meter time trial, Gabriela Rueda won two world titles in distance races, and Sara Muñoz claimed gold in the senior women’s 500-meter sprint.
Colombia entered the event with 170 athletes competing in 10 disciplines. The World Skate Games bring together world championships across roller sports, giving the country opportunities beyond speed skating, the discipline in which Colombian skaters have repeatedly won international titles.
How Colombia started speed skating
Colombia won five gold medals and nine medals overall on the first day of speed-skating finals, along with a world record. Vasquez set the record in the senior men’s 200-meter time trial, clocking 17.108 seconds in qualifying and breaking the previous mark of 17.231 seconds, set by fellow Colombian Steven Villegas at the 2021 World Championships in Ibague.
Vasquez went on to win the final and the world title. Jhon Edwar Tascon took bronze, giving Colombia two places on the senior men’s podium.
Kollin Castro and Geiny Pajaro then gave Colombia a one-two finish in the senior women’s 200-meter final. Both had beaten the previous world record in qualifying, although El Salvador’s Ivonne Nochez ultimately set a new mark of 18.389 seconds.
Colombia also reached the podium twice in the junior women’s 200-meter race. Mariana Ambuila Reinoso won silver and Gisell Caicedo bronze, behind Italy’s Sofia Paola Chiumiento. In the junior men’s event, Emanuel Ramos Mosquera claimed another Colombian title.
The 5,000-meter points races brought two more gold medals. Mariana Imitola Vasquez won the junior women’s event, while Rueda took the senior women’s title. Rueda later added another world championship gold in the 10,000-meter elimination race.
The sprint events extended the medal count. Juan Silva Rodriguez added another medal with bronze in the junior men’s 500-meter sprint.
Inline downhill podium sweep
Before the speed-skating finals began, Colombia had already secured six medals in inline downhill: three gold, one silver and two bronze. The discipline combines high-speed racing on inline skates with steep downhill courses that demand precise control and technical skill.
Alef Ximena Torres won the women’s time trial on Oct. 3, and Juan David Agudelo earned bronze in the men’s event. Torres then won a second world title in the women’s downhill race.
The men’s downhill final on Oct. 5 produced an all-Colombian podium. Jose Mejia won gold, Juan Barrera took silver and Carlos Quiroga claimed bronze.
Torres’s two victories made her one of Colombia’s early standouts in Asuncion. The team’s six-medal finish in inline downhill gave the delegation a strong start before the speed-skating world championships began.
A delegation across 10 disciplines
Colombia brought around 200 people to Asuncion, including 170 athletes competing in 10 disciplines. The delegation includes 40 inline hockey players, 29 rink hockey athletes, 28 speed skaters and 24 artistic skaters. Other teams and competitors represent inline downhill, roller freestyle, skateboarding, skate cross, inline slalom and scooter.
The Games run across several venues in Asuncion, including the Paraguayan Olympic Committee, the National Sports Secretariat, the city’s central waterfront district and Cerro Lambare. The event brings together 12 sports categories, each with its own world championships and schedule.
That format broadens Colombia’s campaign beyond its medal-winning speed skaters and downhill racers. Athletes in team sports and judged events face different routes to the podium, with results depending on qualifying rounds, finals and team progression.
What remains for Colombia
The Games continue until Oct. 18, leaving Colombia with further opportunities to add to its results. The medal count remains provisional as athletes compete in the remaining events, and results from each discipline must be considered separately before assessing the delegation’s overall standing.
Vasquez’s world record, Rueda’s two titles and Colombia’s inline-downhill podium sweep have already given the country several headline results. The next stage of the campaign will determine how many more world titles its athletes can secure before the competition ends in Paraguay.