Laura GOMEZ

LATE SURPRISE
She was informed about her selection to compete at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games one week before the Games began, and six months after having taken up the sport. "To be in Korea is a super surprise. It is cold. It is horrible because we are used to the summer all the time but this is the real winter and we are at the winter Olympics." (Info 2018)

SWITCHING TO ICE
"Roller speed skating and speed skating are two completely different sports. They only share the name and their techniques are quite the opposite. On ice you skate a lot with the strength of the hip while on roller blades you skate mainly with your thigh quadriceps. The back has to be completely curved while on wheels it has to be straight. The left shoulder on ice has to be always up while on wheels it must be down. On ice, the hip goes always inside while on wheels it goes outside. It is completely opposite in all senses. For us [roller speed skaters] is very difficult because we have to change what we have done all our lives and to adapt to a new sport in a short time." (co.marca.com, 7 Feb 2018)

© Data by Sports Data Warehouse

Became the first female Colombian speed skater to compete at the Olympic Winter Games at PyeongChang 2018.

Became the first Colombian to compete at a second Olympic Winter Games at Beijing 2022 (Alpine skier Michael Poettoz also reached this milestone).