Mariana Pajón on Rafaela's 'Invincible' track: “Need one in Colombia” | OneFootball

The three-time Olympic medalist and two-time Olympic BMX champion took part in the track cycling events at the South American Games. Also standing out at the venue were Lina Hernández and Kevin Quintero, both gold medalists for Colombia, Venezuela’s Verónica Abreu, silver medalist, and Argentina’s Lucas Vilar, bronze medalist.

The Invincible Velodrome of Rafaela was conceived to outlast the 13th South American Games Santa Fe 2026 and establish itself as a benchmark venue for cycling and high-performance sport. After competing in the track events, Colombian Mariana Pajón, a three-time Olympic medalist and two-time Olympic BMX champion, summed up her impression: “I wish we had something like this in Colombia.”

Once the event is over, the infrastructure will make it possible to host high-level training sessions and boost future national and international competitions.

Pajón was part of the Colombian team at Santa Fe 2026 to compete in track cycling, a discipline different from the BMX that made her one of the sport’s biggest global stars. After her time in Rafaela, she praised the facilities of the new velodrome. “This venue is spectacular for the development of sport,” she said.

In addition, with an eye on the future, she said the infrastructure “will open up opportunities for sport in the region.” The athlete, used to competing at the world’s top venues, took on a new challenge at Santa Fe 2026 in a career defined by her Olympic achievements.

The voices from the podium

Colombia’s Lina Hernández, winner of the gold medal, and Venezuela’s Verónica Abreu, who took silver, also highlighted the conditions of the venue that hosted the track cycling events during the South American Games.

“It’s a spectacular velodrome, it’s really, really great,” said Hernández. The cyclist also noted that the Colombian team set a national record in the pursuit event: “It’s a world-class velodrome.”

Abreu, for her part, was emphatic in describing her first impressions of the facility. “Honestly, the velodrome is very, very beautiful; it turned out impeccable,” she said. Also sharing their views were Colombia’s Kevin Quintero, winner of the gold in sprint, and Argentina’s Lucas Vilar, bronze medalist in the team pursuit.

Quintero highlighted the characteristics of the track and how quickly he adapted from the very first training sessions. “It’s a track I adapted to right away; it rides well. The curves and the banking transitions are very well designed,” he explained.

Vilar stressed the importance of the velodrome’s continued use after the Games. “I hope it gets used a lot. I know Rafaela is a city that means a lot to cycling,” he said.

A venue with international projection

The Invincible Velodrome of Rafaela has a 250-meter indoor track, approved by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), seating for 400 spectators, and a central area adaptable for other disciplines.

The venue is located in the southeastern sector of Rafaela Ecopark and is part of a sports complex that includes BMX Race and BMX Freestyle tracks, as well as a skate park and skate street course.

The track was built with Norwegian pine wood harvested in Finland, features fire-retardant treatment and special high-durability protection. Its central surface will allow the space to be adapted for volleyball, skating, school activities, multipurpose events, and conventions.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.