Colombia Skater Sets World Record as Team Wins 5 Golds
COLOMBIA · SPORT
Key Facts
- —The country Colombia won five of eight world titles on Saturday, 10 October.
- —What happened Inline speed skating world titles opened at the World Skate Games, Paraguay.
- —The record Santiago Vasquez skated 200 metres in 17.108 seconds, a world record.
- —The medals Colombia took 10 of 24 medals: five gold, three silver, two bronze.
- —The US angle Corinne Stoddard won bronze; Jacob Melton lost a bronze skate-off.
- —Next Sprint and elimination finals Sunday; relay finals on Monday, 12 October.
Colombia’s inline skaters opened the world championships in Paraguay the way they usually do, at the top of the podium.
Colombia won five of eight speed skating titles on Saturday, 10 October, opening day of the world championships in Paraguay. Sprinter Santiago Vasquez also set a men’s world record over 200 metres, World Skate said.
World Skate is the global governing body for roller sports and skateboarding, based in Lausanne, Switzerland. For American fans, the day brought one US medal and one close miss, in strong wind on the Asunción track.
A Speed Skating World Record in Asunción
The races are part of the World Skate Games, a multi-sport skating championship running in Asunción from 2 to 18 October. Speed skating here means racing on inline wheeled skates, on a track and later on city streets.
World Skate expected 406 athletes from 47 nations in the junior and senior speed events. The track races take place at the Paraguayan Olympic Committee’s grounds in the capital.
Vasquez clocked 17.108 seconds in the qualifying round of the senior men’s 200-metre dual time trial. That is an average of about 42 kilometres an hour, or 26 mph, faster than a typical US school-zone speed limit.
He then won the final in 17.133 seconds, ahead of Spain’s Jhoan Guzman in 17.215. Colombia’s Jhon Tascon Holguin took bronze in 17.287 after an extra run against Jacob Melton of the United States.
A second world record fell in the women’s event. Ivonne Nochez Gallardo of El Salvador clocked 18.389 seconds in qualifying, World Skate said.
Colombia’s Five Gold Medals
Kollin Castro won the senior women’s 200-metre dual time trial in 18.425 seconds, her third straight world title in the event. Geiny Pajaro finished second in 18.429, giving Colombia a one-two, while Nochez Gallardo took bronze.
Gabriela Rueda won the senior women’s 5,000-metre points race with 11 points. World Skate said it was the one major distance title still missing from her collection.
In the juniors, Mariana Imitola Vasquez dominated the women’s 5,000-metre points race with 33 points. Teammate Manuela Rodriguez Torres took silver with 12 points, and South Korea’s Yeseul Jeon won bronze.
Emanuel Ramos Mosquera won the junior men’s 200 metres in 17.615 seconds. In the junior women’s sprint, Italy’s Sofia Paola Chiumiento won, with Colombians Mariana Ambuila Reinoso and Gisell Caicedo second and third.
The only senior final without a Colombian medal was the men’s 5,000-metre points race, won by France’s Hugo Morin.
El Espectador, the Bogotá daily, put Colombia’s opening-day count at five gold, three silver and two bronze. That matches the podiums World Skate published on Sunday, 11 October.
What It Means for You
Corinne Stoddard of the United States took bronze in the senior women’s 5,000-metre points race with nine points. She finished one point behind Chile’s Camila Carreño and two behind Rueda.
Melton’s skate-off loss to Tascon Holguin cost the US a second medal on the opening day. Both results matter for American fans following US skaters before the road races later in the week.
World Skate streams its championships on its own online channel, worldskate.tv.
What Is Not Known
World Skate’s results page did not yet list full official result sheets for Asunción on Sunday afternoon. Its report gave podiums and times, but no overall medal table.
It is also unclear how much the strong wind affected times, which World Skate called a key factor.
What Comes Next
Track racing continues on Sunday, 11 October, with the 500-metre sprint and 10,000-metre elimination races. The 1,000-metre sprint and relays follow on Monday, 12 October.
Road races move to downtown Asunción on Wednesday, 14 October, and Thursday, 15 October. The 100-metre sprint is on Saturday, 17 October, and the marathon closes the speed events on Sunday, 18 October.
One strong day does not settle the championships, since most of the speed skating finals are still to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the World Skate Games?
They are a multi-sport championship run by World Skate, the global body for roller sports and skateboarding. The 2026 edition runs in Paraguay’s capital from 2 to 18 October.
Is this the same as Olympic ice speed skating?
No. These races are held on inline wheeled skates, on a track and on a road circuit.
Who set the world records?
Colombia’s Santiago Vasquez skated the men’s 200-metre dual time trial in 17.108 seconds. El Salvador’s Ivonne Nochez Gallardo set the women’s mark of 18.389 seconds, both in qualifying.
Did American skaters win medals?
Corinne Stoddard won bronze in the senior women’s 5,000-metre points race. Jacob Melton lost a skate-off for bronze in the men’s 200 metres.
How many medals did Colombia win on the first day?
Colombia won 10 of the 24 medals on offer: five gold, three silver and two bronze.
Sources: World Skate, opening-day speed results; World Skate, speed skating schedule; El Espectador (all accessed 11 October 2026).
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error