00:00Imagine a tremendous downhill stretch where you are going over 100 kilometers per hour.
00:04And if I also tell you that they're on roller skates, the road is full of curves, and they only have a few seconds to
00:09make decisions.
00:10This sport is called Downhill Inline or downhill skating
00:14and it consists precisely of going down steep roads at the highest possible speed, without losing control.
00:20What many probably don't know is that Colombia made history at the World Skate Games
00:25by winning the title and also securing second and third place on the podium.
00:30No thanks, warriors.
00:32Here, the Colombians José Mejía, Juan Barrera and Carlos Quiroga swept all the medals.
00:38And as if that weren't enough, in the women's category, Aleph Torres was crowned two-time world champion.
00:43Colombia is gradually becoming a world power in this sport.
00:48We're doing very well. In the previous World Championships, in 2024, we won one gold medal and two bronze medals.
00:55This one already had two gold, one silver and two bronze.
00:59So we're leveling up.
01:02We had a podium finish with the three Colombians.
01:05It was kind of crazy because it's also the first time we've won a gold medal in the Mass Start.
01:11We had already won gold with Diego Posada in Barcelona in 2019, but in the Time Trial.
01:18This is the first time we've opened a gold medal at the Mass Start.
01:22It was incredible, something out of this world.
01:25Reaching the final with three compatriots, having that feeling that the three of us could finish on the podium.
01:33Or to know from the beginning that we were definitely going to win two medals.
01:38It was something very good, very rewarding.
01:42This sport, unlike traditional speed skating, in which Colombia is also a world power,
01:48The competition is not held on a flat track.
01:50The setting is a road with slopes, straights and technical curves where every move counts.
01:57Asunción was crazy because we arrived and it was 45 degrees.
02:03These are climatic conditions that cause the asphalt to change.
02:07In our sport that has a big impact, because depending on the type of asphalt, the temperature of the asphalt,
02:18The wheel will grip more or less, so that makes a big difference.
02:23The speed can exceed 100 kilometers per hour.
02:27However, if they're traveling at such a speed and don't have automatic brakes, how do they slow down before a curve?
02:33The answer lies in the skidding.
02:36Skaters use technique, body position, and wheel contact with the asphalt to control
02:43speed.
02:44For me, it's a sport that's full of everything: adrenaline, speed, and the need for careful calculation.
02:52that everything in the mind has to happen much faster than it is happening at that moment.
02:58The mind can't go faster than the legs on such a fast-moving sheet of paper.
03:01We can reach speeds of 120 and the mind must be super calm.
03:08And it's the talking, the saying, well, I'm going to do this skid here, I'm going to take the internal, no
03:14I'm going to go outside, it's something to talk about a lot.
03:16However, concentration and technique are not enough on their own.
03:20In a sport where speeds can exceed 100 kilometers per hour, safety also depends on compliance.
03:26the rules and having the right equipment.
03:29Skaters must wear a full-face helmet, protective gloves, knee pads, elbow pads, and a water-resistant suit.
03:36abrasion.
03:37In addition, actions such as intentionally blocking an opponent, making a dangerous lane change, or making illegal contact can result in penalties.
03:45sanctions, including disqualification.
03:47The adrenaline of the moment really gets to him, because he doesn't fully grasp the situation yet, right?
03:53But when those emotions, that adrenaline, subside, then you realize that it's a
03:59A very big achievement for the country.
04:02It was the first time that had happened in world championships, that there was a Colombian podium with three Colombian athletes.
04:11And that's it, it was too much of an emotion.
04:14So, how does the winner skate in this sport?
04:18The competition may begin with timed individual descents, which serve to establish positions and determine who advances.
04:25Then come the group elimination rounds, known as hits, in which several skaters descend at the same time and must fight.
04:33for a place in the next round.
04:34That's why what Colombia achieved in Asunción is impressive.
04:38Not only for the medals, but for demonstrating that the country is also a powerhouse in inline downhill.
04:45Three Colombians on the men's podium and a two-time world champion in the women's category.
04:50A historic result that demonstrates that, in this sport, Colombia not only competes against the best in the world, but is also
04:57at the very top.
05:04Thanks for watching the video.
