Mariana Pajón facts for kids
Pajón in 2013
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Mariana Pajón Londoño |
| Nickname | "Tata", "Queen of BMX" |
| Born | 10 October 1991 Medellín, Colombia |
| Height | 1.58 m |
| Weight | 53 kg (117 lb) |
| Team information | |
| Current team |  Colombia |
| Discipline |
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| Role | Rider |
Mariana Pajón Londoño is a famous Colombian cyclist. She is known as the "Queen of BMX" because she has won many important races. Mariana was born on October 10, 1991.
She has won two gold medals at the Summer Olympics. This makes her the first Colombian athlete to win two Olympic gold medals! She is also a multiple BMX World Champion.
Mariana won her first national title when she was just 5 years old. By age 9, she had already won her first world title. She has won 14 world championships in total. She also has many wins in other big competitions. In 2011, she was named the Colombian Athlete of the Year. A special BMX track in Medellín, Colombia, is even named after her! She won a world championship there in 2016.
Mariana was chosen to carry the flag for Colombia at the 2012 Summer Olympics during the opening ceremony.
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Mariana Pajón: Olympic BMX Champion
Mariana Pajón has made history for Colombia at the Olympic Games.
London 2012 Olympics
Mariana was the flag-bearer for Colombia at the 2012 Summer Olympics. This was her first time competing in the BMX event at the Olympics. She won the first gold medal for Colombia at those games. It was also Colombia's second Olympic gold medal ever.
Mariana did great in the semifinals. She finished first in all three races. In the final race, she won the gold medal with a time of 37.706 seconds.
Rio 2016 Olympics
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At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Mariana defended her title. She won her second Olympic gold medal! This made her the first Colombian athlete to win two gold medals at the Olympics.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Mariana continued her success at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She won a silver medal in the BMX racing event.
Mariana's Life Story
Mariana Pajón Londoño was born in Medellín, Colombia. Her parents, Carlos Mario Pajón and Claudia Londoño, were also athletes. Her dad raced cars and her mom rode horses. Mariana went to a Catholic school called Sacred Heart Montemayor. It was near Medellín.
Mariana learned to ride a bike when she was only three years old. By age four, she was already training on a track. She had her first race against kids who were five and six years old. This was because there was no race category for kids her age.
In 2008, Mariana was invited to a special Youth Camp during the Beijing Olympics. On June 1, 2008, she won the 2008 UCI BMX World Championships in China. She won in the Junior Women's Cruiser category.
Mariana married another BMX rider, Vincent Pelluard, on December 16, 2017. They had been dating for four years. Vincent later became a Colombian citizen. Now he races for Colombia in international competitions.
Mariana has also received a special award from Colombia, called the Order of Boyaca.
Images for kids
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World Champion icon
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Bronze Medal icon
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Gold Medal icon
See also
In Spanish: Mariana Pajón para niños
