# Lina Licona

Lina Esther Licona Torres (born 1 October 1998) is a Colombian sprinter. In 2024, she became national champion in the 400 metres.

## Early and personal life

From Boca de La Ceiba, near Montería in the Córdoba Department. Licona moved to Bogotá with her family in 2004. She attended high school at the Instituto Tecnisistemas. She was a speed skater prior to focusing on athletics when she was 16 years-old. She has a son, Eliam, born February 15, 2017. She suffered an injury to her Achilles tendon in 2020 that left her close to retirement.

## Career

She won a silver medal in the individual 400 metres at the 2019 South American Athletics Championships in Lima, Peru. She won a gold medal in the 4x400m relay at the championships.
She won gold in the womwn's 4x400m relay and bronze in the mixed 4x400m relay at the 2022 South American Games in Asunción, Paraguay.
She won double gold at the 2023 South American Athletics Championships in São Paulo, in the women’s 4x400m relay and the mixed 4x400m relay, in a South American record time.
She ran as part of the Colombian mixed 4x400m relay team at the 2024 World Relays Championships in Nassau. She won the International Grand Prix 400m race in Cuiabá, Brazil in May 2024, running a season best time of 52.28 seconds.
On June 20, 2024 Licona secured automatic qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by winning the 400 metres at the Richard Boroto International Grand Prix in Quito, Ecuador in a time of 50.83 seconds. The following week, she won the Colombian Athletics Championships 400 metres race in a time of 51.68 seconds. She competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics over 400 metres in August 2024.

## International competitions

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Result |
| Representing Colombia ||||||
| 2018 | South American U23 Championships | Cuenca, Ecuador | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:35.50 CR |
| 2019 | South American Championships | Lima, Peru | 2nd | 400 m | 53.18 s |
| 2019 | South American Championships | Lima, Peru | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:32.81 |
| 2019 | Pan American Games | Lima, Peru | 11th | 400 m | 53.53 s |
| 2019 | Pan American Games | Lima, Peru | 6th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:33.02 |
| 2022 | South American Games | Asunción, Paraguay | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:31.30 GR |
| 2022 | South American Games | Asunción, Paraguay | 3rd | Mixed relay | 3:22.87 |
| 2023 | Central American and Caribbean Games | San Salvador, El Salvador | 8th | 200 m | 23.69 s |
| 2023 | Central American and Caribbean Games | San Salvador, El Salvador | — | 4 × 100 m relay | DQ |
| 2023 | Central American and Caribbean Games | San Salvador, El Salvador | 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:31.16 |
| 2023 | Central American and Caribbean Games | San Salvador, El Salvador | 3rd | Mixed relay | 3:20.36 |
| 2023 | South American Championships | São Paulo, Brazil | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:31.39 |
| 2023 | South American Championships | São Paulo, Brazil | 1st | Mixed relay | 3:14.79 AR, CR |
| 2023 | Pan American Games | Santiago, Chile | — | 200 m | DQ |
| 2023 | Pan American Games | Santiago, Chile | 6th | 4 × 100 m relay | 44.79 s |
| 2023 | Pan American Games | Santiago, Chile | 6th | Mixed relay | 3:23.17 |
| 2024 | World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 19th (r) | Mixed relay | 3:21.29 |
| 2024 | Ibero-American Championships | Cuiabá, Brazil | 5th | 200 m | 23.45 s |
| 2024 | Ibero-American Championships | Cuiabá, Brazil | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:33.20 |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Paris, France | 19th (r) | 400 m | 51.90 s |