Mariana Pajón facts for kids
Pajón in 2013
|
|
| 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 |
|
| Role | Rider |
Mariana Pajón Londoño is a famous Colombian cyclist. She was born on October 10, 1991. Mariana is known for being an amazing BMX racer. She has won two Olympic gold medals and many BMX World Championships. People often call her the "Queen of BMX" because she is so good!
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 a total of 14 world championships. She also has 2 national championships from the United States, 9 Latin American Championships, and 10 Pan American Championships.
Mariana won gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. She is the first Colombian athlete to win two Olympic gold medals. In 2011, she was named the Colombian Athlete of the Year. A BMX track in her hometown of Medellín was even named after her! She won the 2016 BMX World Championships on that very track. Mariana was also chosen to carry the flag for Colombia at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.
Contents
Mariana Pajón's Olympic Wins
London 2012 BMX Gold
Mariana Pajón was the flag-bearer for Colombia at the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics. This means she led her country's team into the stadium during the opening ceremony. Later, she competed in the BMX event. She won Colombia's first gold medal at those games. It was also Colombia's second gold medal ever in the Olympics.
Mariana was amazing in the semifinals, finishing first in all three races. In the final race, she won the gold medal with a time of 37.706 seconds.
Rio 2016 BMX Gold
.jpg)
At the 2016 Olympic Games, Mariana Pajón raced to defend her title. She won her second Olympic gold medal. This made her the first Colombian athlete to ever win two gold medals at the Olympics.
Tokyo 2020 BMX Silver
At the 2020 Summer Olympics, which took place in 2021, Mariana Pajón won a silver medal in BMX racing.
About Mariana's Life
Mariana Pajón Londoño was born in Medellín, Colombia, on October 10, 1991. Her parents, Carlos Mario Pajón and Claudia Londoño, were also athletes when they were younger. Her dad liked motor racing, and her mom enjoyed horse riding. Mariana went to a Catholic school called Sacred Heart Montemayor. It was in Rionegro, a town close to Medellín.
Mariana learned to ride a bike when she was only three years old. By the time she was four, she started training on a BMX track. Her first race was against kids who were five and six years old. This was because there wasn't a race category for kids as young as her.
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 Pelluard later became a Colombian citizen. He now races for Colombia in international competitions.
Mariana was also given a special award from Colombia called the Order of Boyaca.
Mariana Pajón's Major Awards
Mariana Pajón has won many important medals throughout her career:
Olympic Medals
- London 2012
- Gold medal in Women's BMX
- Rio de Janeiro 2016
- Gold medal in Women's BMX (She was the first Colombian to win two Olympic gold medals!)
- Tokyo 2020
- Silver medal in Women's BMX
Pan American Games Medals
- Guadalajara 2011
- Gold medal in Women's BMX
- Lima 2019
- Gold medal in Women's BMX
World Championship Medals
- Taiyuan 2008
- World Champion in Junior Women Cruiser
- Adelaide 2009
- World Champion in Junior Women
- World Champion in Junior Women Cruiser
- Pietermaritzburg 2010
- World Champion in Elite Women Cruiser
- Copenhagen 2011
- World Champion in Elite Women
- Bronze Medal in Elite Women's Time Trial
- Auckland 2013
- Gold Medal in Elite Women's Time Trial
- Rotterdam 2014
- World Champion in Elite Women
- Bronze Medal in Elite Women's Time Trial
- Medellín 2016
- World Champion in Elite Women
- Bronze Medal in Elite Women's Time Trial
- Rock Hill 2017
- Bronze Medal in Elite Women
See also
In Spanish: Mariana Pajón para niños
