Latin American Participation in the Olympics

Abstract

In Olympismo: The Olympic Movement in the Making of Latin America and the Caribbean (2020), editors Sotomayor and Torres suggest that studying the Olympic Movement in Latin America is a way to explore the creation of their societies. but there are few publications examining how Latin American scholars consider their Olympic experience. Reviewing the growth of Olympic sports in Colombia provides a good test of this thesis. This study traces the development of Colombia’s involvement in sport from 1930 to 2022. We see that by competing in national and other western-hemisphere events, Colombian athletes have improved their performances; that the national government, supported by programs offered by the United Nations and the US Peace Corps, has encouraged sport development in education; that grassroots activities, such as boxing and cycling, have produced world-class athletes; and that women and Afro-Colombians have become celebrated competitors. From the vantage point of 2023, there is evidence that the desire to win Olympic medals has inspired positive social change and elevated and diversified athletic participation in Colombia.