Jimena Leguizamón

Jimena Leguizamón Leal (born 12 May 2005) is a Colombian competitive swimmer. At the 2022 Bolivarian Games, she won gold medals in the 200 metre backstroke and 4×100 metre medley relay and bronze medals in the 200 metre individual medley and 100 metre backstroke. At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, she placed sixteenth in the 200 metre backstroke and became the first female Colombian swimmer to reach the semifinals stage of competition in the event at a FINA World Aquatics Championships. She won the silver medal in the 200 metre backstroke at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games and two gold medals and two silver medals in individual events at the 2022 South American Youth Games.

Jimena Leguizamón

Personal information
Full name	Jimena Leguizamón Leal^[1]
National team	Colombia
Born	(2005-05-12) 12 May 2005 (age 18) Bogotá, Colombia
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Backstroke, individual medley
Medal record Women's swimming Representing  Colombia Event 1st 2nd 3rd South American Games 0 0 1 Bolivarian Games 2 0 2 Junior Pan American Games 0 1 1 South American Youth Games 2 3 0 Total 4 4 4 South American Games 2022 Asunción 4×100 m medley Bolivarian Games 2022 Valledupar 200 m backstroke 2022 Valledupar 4x100 m medley 2022 Valledupar 100 m backstroke 2022 Valledupar 200 m medley Junior Pan American Games 2021 Cali–Valle 200 m backstroke 2021 Cali–Valle 4×100 m medley South American Youth Games 2022 Rosario 100 m backstroke 2022 Rosario 200 m backstroke 2022 Rosario 50 m backstroke 2022 Rosario 200 m medley 2022 Rosario 4×100 m medley

Background

Leguizamón was born 12 May 2005 in Bogotá, Colombia.^[2][3] She was diagnosed with asthma when she was 5 years old and started swimming to help mediate the condition.^[4]

Career

2021

2021 Junior Pan American Games

As a part of swimming competition at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games, conducted in Cali in November and December, Leguizamón won the silver medal in the 200 metre backstroke with a time of 2:16.85, won a bronze medal in the 4×100 metre medley relay with a final time of 4:16.51, placed fifth in the 100 metre backstroke with a time of 1:04.36, and placed eighth in the preliminaries of the 200 metre individual medley with a 2:24.22.^[1] In her heat of the 200-metre individual medley, she placed fourth with a time of 2:24.22, finishing over 10 full seconds ahead of fifth-place finisher and 2020 Olympian Jillian Crooks of the Cayman Islands.^[5] Following the Games, she won a gold medal in the 200 metre backstroke at the Junior South American Swimming Championships with a South American record time of 2:16.63 for girls under 18 years of age.^[6]

2022

2022 South American Youth Games

At the 2022 South American Youth Games, held in Rosario, Argentina in April and May, Leguizamón won a total of two gold medals and three silver medals.^[7] She won her first set of medals on 28 April, the first medal was a silver medal in the 200 metre individual medley with a time of 2:21.51 and the second was a silver medal in the 50 metre backstroke with a time of 30.02 seconds.^[7][8][9] Her other three medals, she won over the following two days, first winning the gold medal in the 100 metre backstroke with a 1:03.65, then winning a silver medal as part of the 4×100 metre medley relay, followed by a gold medal in the 200 metre backstroke with a 2:15.38.^[7][10] She also placed fourth in the 4×100 metre mixed medley relay on 1 May.^[7]

2022 World Aquatics Championships

In the 100 metre backstroke at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, with pool swimming competition held at Danube Arena in Budapest, Hungary in June, Leguizamón placed 26th with a time of 1:03.16.^[11] Four days later, she swam a 2:16.38 in the preliminaries of the 200 metre backstroke and qualified for the semifinals ranking sixteenth.^[12][13] In the evening semifinals, she became the first female Colombian to compete in the semifinals stage of competition of the 200 metre backstroke at a FINA World Aquatics Championships, placing sixteenth with a time of 2:15.11.^[14][15]

2022 Bolivarian Games

2022 Bolivarian Games
	4×100 m medley	4:13.70
	200 m backstroke	2:16.76 (GR)
	200 m individual medley	2:21.78
	100 m backstroke	1:04.29

Nine days later, Leguizamón won her first medal in swimming competition at the 2022 Bolivarian Games, held in Valledupar, a bronze medal in the 200 metre individual medley with a time of 2:21.78.^[16][17] For her first medal the following day, she won the bronze medal in the 100 metre backstroke with a time of 1:04.29 in the final, finishing 0.56 seconds behind gold medalist McKenna DeBever of Peru and 0.46 seconds behind silver medalist Krystal Lara of the Dominican Republic.^{[16][17][18][19]} Her second medal of the day was a gold medal in the 4×100 metre medley relay, where she helped achieve a first-place finish in 4:13.70 along with relay teammates Valentina Becerra, Karen Durango, and Stefania Gómez.^{[16][17][19][20]} In her final event of the Games, the 200 metre backstroke the following day, she won the gold medal in a new Games record time of 2:16.76.^{[16][21][22][23][24]}

On 6 July, the day after the completion of the Games, Colombian newspaper El Tiempo dubbed Leguizamón as an emerging talent, specifically in regards to her potential to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics.^[25]

2022 World Junior Championships

Leguizamón was one of six Colombian swimmers who entered to compete at the 2022 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, held in August and September in Lima, Peru.^[26] Starting on day one in the preliminaries of the 100 metre backstroke, she finished in a time of 1:04.46, ranking 18th across all preliminary heats and not advancing to the semifinals.^[27] On day two, she split a 1:04.47 for the butterfly leg of the 4×100 metre mixed medley relay, helping achieve an eleventh-place finish in 4:08.10.^[28] The next day, she placed fifteenth in the 200 metre backstroke with a time of 2:19.90.^[29] Day four of competition, she qualified for her first final of the Championships in the preliminaries of the 200 metre individual medley, where she ranked eighth with a time of 2:23.74, which was less than 10 seconds behind first-ranked Mio Narita of Japan.^[30][31] In the final, she increased her time to a 2:25.52 and placed eighth.^[32]

2022 South American Games

2022 South American Games
	4×100 m medley	4:12.08

In August, Leguizamón was named to the Colombia roster in swimming for the senior 2022 South American Games, to be held in October in Asunción, Paraguay.^[33] For her individual events as part of pool swimming competition, she entered to compete in the 100 metre backstroke, 200 metre backstroke, and 200 metre individual medley.^[34] In the 200 metre individual medley on 2 October, she was the highest-placing female swimmer from Colombia in the final, finishing sixth with a time of 2:25.59.^[35] The following day, she qualified for the final of the 100 metre backstroke with a time of 1:04.10 in the morning preliminary heats.^[36] In the evening final, she lowered her time to a 1:03.94 and tied for fifth-place.^[37][38] Later in the same session, she won a bronze medal as part of the 4×100 metre medley relay, helping finish third in a time of 4:12.08.^[34][39][40] On the third day, she withdrew from the 200 metre backstroke prior to the start of competition.^[34]

2023

In March 2023, the world governing body for aquatics sports, World Aquatics, announced female swimmers, such as Leguizamón, would be age-eligible for the 2023 World Junior Swimming Championships and world junior records with an upper age cut-off of 18 years of age at the end of the 2023 year, meaning she would receive an additional year as a world junior following this change in upper age cut-off, which was previously set at 17 years of age for female swimmers.^[41]

International championships (50 m)

Meet	50 back	100 back	200 back	200 medley	4×100 medley	4×100 mixed medley
Junior level
PANJ 2021 (age: 16)	—	5th (1:04.36)	(2:16.85)	8th (h) (2:24.22)	(4:16.51)
SAYG 2022 (age: 16)	(30.02)	(1:03.65)	(2:15.38)	(2:21.51)	(4:21.35)	4th (4:04.70)
WJC 2022 (age: 17)		18th (1:04.46)	15th (2:19.90)	8th (2:25.52)		11th (4:08.10)
Senior level
WC 2022 (age: 17)		26th (1:03.16)	16th (2:15.11)
BvG 2022 (age: 17)	—	(1:04.29)	(2:16.76 GR)	(2:21.78)	(4:13.70)
SAG 2022 (age: 17)		5th (1:03.94)		6th (2:25.59)	(4:12.08)

Personal best times

Long course metres (50 m pool)

Event	Time	Meet	Location	Date	Age	Ref
50 m backstroke	30.02	2022 South American Youth Games	Rosario, Argentina	28 April 2022	16	^[7]
100 m backstroke	1:03.12	7th Dominican Republic International Swim Open	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic	2 April 2022	16	^[3]
200 m backstroke	2:14.53	7th Dominican Republic International Swim Open	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic	3 April 2022	16	^[3]
200 m individual medley	2:19.66	7th Dominican Republic International Swim Open	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic	1 April 2022	16	^[3]

See also

• Swimming at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games

References

1. "Cali Valle 2021: Jimena Leguizamon Leal" (in Spanish). Panam Sports. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
2. Rengifo, Lisandro (23 June 2022). "Jimena Leguizamón: historia de lucha para triunfar en los Bolivarianos" (in Spanish). El Tiempo. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
3. "Jimena Leguizamon". FINA. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
4. "Jimena Leguizamón, una nadadora que transformó su vida gracias al talento, la disciplina y la pasión" (in Spanish). Caracol Televisión. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
5. "200m Combinado Individual - Feminina - Natación: Serie 3 Eliminatorias" (in Spanish). Panam Sports. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
6. "Con récords incluidos, Colombia ya suma 25 oros en el Sudamericano juvenil de natación en Perú" (in Spanish). Infobae. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
7. "Rosario 2022: Leguizamon Leal Jimena" (in Spanish). ODESUR. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
8. "Jimena Leguizamón ganó dos medallas de plata en los Suramericanos de la Juventud" (in Spanish). idrd.gov.co. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
9. "Colombia, ya van ocho medallas en los Juegos Suramericanos Juveniles" (in Spanish). El Tiempo. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
10. Luz Élida Molina Marín (29 April 2022). "Colombia ya es segunda en las justas de Rosario" (in Spanish). El Colombiano. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
11. FINA (19 June 2022). "19th FINA World Championships Budapest (HUN): Women's 100m Backstroke Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
12. FINA (23 June 2022). "19th FINA World Championships Budapest (HUN): Women's 200m Backstroke Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
13. "Ledecky se luce en las series de 800 libre, Milak en las de 100 mariposa" (in Spanish). Infobae. 23 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
14. FINA (23 June 2022). "19th FINA World Championships Budapest (HUN): Women's 200m Backstroke Semifinals Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
15. "Con 17 años, Jimena Leguizamón hizo historia en el Campeonato Mundial de Natación en Budapest" (in Spanish). Caracol Televisión. 23 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
16. "XIX Juegos Bolivarianos Valledupar 2022: Jimena Leguizamon Leal" (in Spanish). Valledupar 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
17. "Gran aporte de oros del Equipo Bogotá para el título de Colombia" (in Spanish). idrd.gov.co. 4 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
18. "¡Siguen los triunfos! Natación le dio dos medallas de oro y una de bronce a Perú en los Juegos Bolivarianos" (in Spanish). ovacion.pe. 3 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
19. "La natación conquistó 10 medallas" (in Spanish). Hoy Diario Del Magdalena. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
20. "Colombia logró coronarse campeona anticipada de los Juegos Bolivarianos 2022" (in Spanish). El País. 3 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
21. "El Equipo Bogotá gana cuatro oros en la penúltima jornada de los Bolivarianos" (in Spanish). idrd.gov.co. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
22. "Colombia repitió campeonato en los XIX Juegos Bolivarianos, superando las 318 medallas y confirmado el proceso del Equipo Colombia" (in Spanish). Diario La Libertad. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
23. "Colombia sumó 20 medallas de oro en la penúltima jornada de los Juegos" (in Spanish). El País Vallenato. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
24. "Juegos Bolivarianos: Colombia sumó 20 medallas de oro en la penúltima jornada" (in Spanish). El Quindiano. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
25. Rengifo, Lisandro Abel (6 July 2022). "Juegos Bolivarianos: razones del aplastante triunfo de Colombia" (in Spanish). El Tiempo. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
26. "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2022: Athletes". FINA. August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
27. FINA (30 August 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Women's 100m Backstroke Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
28. FINA (31 August 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
29. FINA (1 September 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Women's 200m Backstroke Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
30. FINA (2 September 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Women's 200m Individual Medley Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
31. Co, Chris (4 September 2022). "Mojdeh nakipagsabayan sa matitikas na swimmers sa Peru" (in Filipino). The Philippine Star. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
32. FINA (2 September 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Women's 200m Individual Medley Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
33. "Definidos los nadadores que representarán a Colombia en la natación carreras de Asunción 2022" (in Spanish). El Informador. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
34. "Jimena Leguizamon Leal". Asunción 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
35. "200m Individual Medley - Female - Swimming: Serie 1 Final". Asunción 2022. 2 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
36. Ibarra, Darío (3 October 2022). "Odesur: María José Arrúa, fuera de la Final en los 100 m espalda" (in Spanish). abc.com.py. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
37. "100m Backstroke - Female - Swimming Serie 1: Final". Asunción 2022. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
38. "Jornada dorada para Colombia en los Juegos Suramericanos" (in Spanish). El Heraldo. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
39. "4x100 relevo combinado - Femenina - Acuáticos natación Serie 1: Final" (in Spanish). Asunción 2022. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
40. "Juegos Suramericanos 2022: Colombia se ubica segunda en el medallero" (in Spanish). eldeportivo.com.co. 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
41. "World Aquatics: Competition Regulations". World Aquatics. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.

External links

• Jimena Leguizamón at World Aquatics