Colombia at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Colombia competed in the Winter Olympic Games for the first time at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.[1] BackgroundColombia first participated in the Summer Olympics in 1932, with one athlete, Jorge Perry,[2] when the Colombian Olympic Committee did not exist. The committee was formed in 1936.[3] Between 1932 and 2010, Colombia competed in five Summer Olympics, winning eleven medals.[4] In the late 1990s, President of Federation of Skating Carlos Orlando Ferreira proposed training for speed skating athletes, but this proposition was unsuccessful after a lack of funding.[5] Colombia first participated in the Winter Olympics in 2010.[6] Preparations and arrivalThe efforts of Hanspeter Denzler and Colombian Olympic Committee president and IOC member Andrés Botero led to the establishment of a Colombian ski team in 2007.[7] In 2010, Colombia's delegation consisted of skier Cynthia Denzler, her father Hanspeter, and his brother Fabian, both of which served as coaches.[8][9] The delegation flew to Vancouver on 10 February and stayed in the Olympic Village.[10] Cynthia Denzler said, "it is an honour to compete for Colombia and I am happy to do so. Representing the country during the Winter Olympics is a good thing and a dream come true."[11] CeremoniesColombia was one of five nations from South America participating in these Winter Olympics.[12] The opening ceremony was dedicated to Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died on the day of the opening ceremony in a fatal crash.[13][14] Greece opened the parade of nations, followed by Canada.[15] Colombia was the nineteenth of 82 delegations to enter the BC Place stadium, after China and before Croatia.[12][16] Denzler was the flag bearer.[12] At the closing ceremony, which took place at BC Place, the flag bearers formed a circle around the Olympic flame.[17] The flagbearer again was Denzler.[18] Alpine skiingColombia assigned its sole delegate, Cynthia Denzler, to alpine skiing. Despite being born in California,[7] she was allowed to compete for Colombia after her father became a citizen of the country.[19]
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