Ángel Barajas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ángel Barajas |
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Barajas in 2024
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| Full name | Ángel Gabriel Barajas Vivas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country represented |  Colombia |
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| Born | August 12, 2006 Cúcuta, Colombia |
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| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Men's artistic gymnastics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years on national team | 2018–present (COL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Liga Norte de Santander | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach(es) | Jairo Ruiz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Ángel Gabriel Barajas Vivas (born August 12, 2006) is a talented artistic gymnast from Colombia. He made history by becoming the first Colombian gymnast to win an Olympic medal. He earned a silver medal on the horizontal bar at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Ángel is also a champion from the 2022 South American Youth Games. He also won a silver medal in the all-around competition at the 2023 Junior World Championships.
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
Ángel Barajas was born in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, Colombia. His parents are Angélica María Vivas and Wilson Barajas. He has two older brothers and sisters.
When Ángel was just three years old, he loved to watch the TV show LazyTown. He would try to copy the character Sportacus, who did amazing handstands and backflips. This early playtime sparked his interest in gymnastics.
Starting Gymnastics
Ángel began his gymnastics training at a local club in Cúcuta when he was five years old. His older brother, Jeisson, worked two jobs to help pay for Ángel's training. This shows how much his family supported his dream.
Since 2018, Ángel has been training with the Norte de Santander Gymnastics League. He trains alongside other great gymnasts, including Jossimar Calvo. In 2019, Ángel joined the Colombian Sports Ministry's Athletic Excellence program. This program helped him by providing a monthly salary.
Junior Gymnastics Achievements
2021: First Big Medals
In 2021, Ángel competed at the Junior Pan American Championships. He helped the Colombian team win a silver medal. Individually, he won bronze medals in the all-around, floor exercise, and horizontal bar. He also won a gold medal on the pommel horse.
2022: South American Youth Games Champion
In April 2022, Ángel took part in the South American Youth Games. He led the Colombian team to a gold medal. He was amazing, winning gold in six out of seven individual events! He only missed out on a gold medal in the rings event.
Later that year, in July, he competed at the Pan American Championships. Colombia finished fourth as a team. Ángel won a gold medal on the horizontal bar. He also earned silver medals in the all-around, floor exercise, and vault. He added a bronze medal on parallel bars.
2023: Junior World Star
In March 2023, Ángel was the only male gymnast representing Colombia at the second Junior World Championships. He performed incredibly well. On the first day, he qualified for the all-around final in first place. He also made it to the finals for floor exercise, parallel bars, and horizontal bar.
In the all-around final, he won a silver medal, finishing just behind Qin Guohuan from China. In the individual event finals, Ángel won gold medals on both the floor exercise and parallel bars. He also earned a bronze medal on the horizontal bar. With four medals, he was the most successful athlete at the championships in Antalya.
Senior Gymnastics Career
2024: Olympic History Maker
Ángel became old enough to compete in senior competitions in 2024. He made his senior debut at the Cairo World Cup in February. He reached the finals for parallel bars and horizontal bar. He won a bronze medal on the horizontal bar. After the World Cup series, Ángel earned a spot to compete individually at the Olympic Games in Paris.
At the Olympic Games, Ángel competed on the parallel bars and horizontal bar. During the qualification rounds, he earned a spot in the horizontal bar final. He was also a reserve for the parallel bars final.
On the final day of artistic gymnastics, Ángel scored 14.533 on the horizontal bar. This was the highest score of the day! However, he tied with Shinnosuke Oka from Japan. The tie-breaker rule meant that Oka won the gold medal because his "execution score" was higher. Ángel proudly earned the silver medal. This amazing achievement made him the first Colombian gymnast ever to win an Olympic medal.
After winning his Olympic silver medal, Ángel received a full scholarship to attend the University of Santander. He was also given an apartment in Cúcuta. For his incredible Olympic performance, the Colombian Olympic Committee named him Athlete of the Year.
Images for kids
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Ángel Barajas's signature
See also
In Spanish: Ángel Barajas para niños
