# Caterine Ibargüen

Caterine Ibargüen Mena ODB (born 12 February 1984) is a retired Colombian athlete competing in high jump, long jump and triple jump. Her notable achievements include a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, silver medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics, two gold medals in the World Championships in Athletics, and two gold medals in the 2011 Pan American Games and 2015 Pan American Games.

## Biography

Caterine was born in the Urabá region of Antioquia, where she was raised by her grandmother after her parents separated because of the armed conflict in Colombia. Her father left for Venezuela and her mother moved to Turbo, Colombia. Caterine first played volleyball, and Wilder Zapata, her coach, noticed her skill and suggested she play in Medellín, which had the high-profile Atanasio Girardot Sports Complex as a venue for national and international games. There, she began her training in 1996 with the Cuban coach Jorge Luis Alfaro, specializing in the high jump.
Her personal best in the high jump is 1.93 metres, achieved on 22 July 2005 in Cali. This is the current Colombian record. She competed at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where she jumped 1.85 m in the qualifying round. She held the South American record in the triple jump with 15.31 m from July 2014 until September 2019. That jump remained the best jump since the Olympics in August 2008 until Yulimar Rojas achieved a mark of 15.41 m at the Jaén Paraíso Interior Meeting. On 1 September 2011, she obtained the bronze medal at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu with a 14.84 m performance. Based in Puerto Rico. Coached by Ubaldo Duany, former Cuban Long Jumper (8.32 m PB from 1986). On 5 August, she won a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics in the triple jump competition with a 14.80 m jump on her last attempt. On 15 August 2013, she won IAAF World Championships in Moscow in the triple jump competition with a 14.85 m jump on her second attempt.
Caterine Ibargüen announced retirement in August 2021.

## Personal bests
### Outdoor

* 200 m: 24.96 s (wind: -1.2 m/s) – San Germán, 4 December 2009
* 800 m: 2:35.35 min – San Germán, 4 December 2010
* 100 m hurdles: 14.09 s (wind: +0.0 m/s) – Mayagüez, 19 February 2011
* High jump: 1.93 m – Cali, 22 July 2005
* Long jump: 6.93 m (wind: +0.8 m/s) – Ostrava, 9 September 2018
* Triple jump: 15.31 m (wind: 0.0 m/s) – Monaco, 18 July 2014
* Shot put: 13.79 m – Carolina, 20 March 2010
* Javelin throw: 37.72 m – San Germán, 4 December 2010
* Heptathlon: 5742 pts – San Germán, 5 December 2009

### Indoor

* High jump: 1.81 m – Moscow, 11 March 2006

## International competitions

Representing  Colombia :
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
| 1999 | South American Championships | Bogotá, Colombia | 3rd | High jump | 1.76 m A |
| 1999 | World Youth Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 15th (q) | High jump | 1.65 m |
| 1999 | South American Junior Championships | Concepción, Chile | 2nd | High jump | 1.73 m |
| 2001 | South American Junior Championships | Santa Fe, Argentina | 1st | High jump | 1.77 m |
| 2001 | South American Junior Championships | Santa Fe, Argentina | 2nd | Long jump | 5.87 m |
| 2001 | South American Junior Championships | Santa Fe, Argentina | 3rd | Triple jump | 12.65 m |
| 2001 | South American Junior Championships | Santa Fe, Argentina | 2nd | 4 × 100 m | 45.92 s |
| 2001 | Pan American Junior Championships | Santa Fe, Argentina | 2nd | High jump | 1.77 m |
| 2001 | Pan American Junior Championships | Santa Fe, Argentina | 6th | Long jump | 5.70 m |
| 2001 | Pan American Junior Championships | Santa Fe, Argentina | 4th | Triple jump | 12.90 m |
| 2001 | Pan American Junior Championships | Santa Fe, Argentina | 3rd | 4 × 100 m | 46.89 s |
| 2001 | Bolivarian Games | Ambato, Ecuador | 1st | High jump | 1.79 m A |
| 2002 | World Junior Championships | Kingston, Jamaica | 20th (q) | Triple jump | 12.69 m (+0.6 m/s) |
| 2002 | Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships (U-20) | Bridgetown, Barbados | 2nd | High jump | 1.79 m |
| 2002 | Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships (U-20) | Bridgetown, Barbados | 3rd | Triple jump | 13.01 m (−1.3 m/s) |
| 2002 | Central American and Caribbean Games | San Salvador, El Salvador | 3rd | High jump | 1.79 m |
| 2002 | Central American and Caribbean Games | San Salvador, El Salvador | 2nd | Triple jump | 13.17 m (−1.4 m/s) |
| 2003 | South American Junior Championships | Guayaquil, Ecuador | 1st | High jump | 1.80 m |
| 2003 | South American Junior Championships | Guayaquil, Ecuador | 1st | Triple jump | 13.05 m (+2.0 m/s) |
| 2003 | South American Championships | Barquisimeto, Venezuela | 4th | High jump | 1.79 m |
| 2003 | South American Championships | Barquisimeto, Venezuela | 2nd | Long jump | 6.04 m (−0.4 m/s) |
| 2003 | South American Championships | Barquisimeto, Venezuela | 3rd | Triple jump | 13.07 m (−0.1 m/s) |
| 2003 | Pan American Junior Championships | Bridgetown, Barbados | 4th | High jump | 1.81 m |
| 2003 | Pan American Junior Championships | Bridgetown, Barbados | 4th | Triple jump | 12.64 m (−0.8 m/s) |
| 2004 | South American Under-23 Championships | Barquisimeto, Venezuela | 1st | High jump | 1.91 m |
| 2004 | South American Under-23 Championships | Barquisimeto, Venezuela | 2nd | Long jump | 6.05 m (+0.9 m/s) |
| 2004 | Ibero-American Championships | Huelva, Spain | 3rd | High jump | 1.88 m |
| 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 16th (q) | High jump | 1.85 m |
| 2005 | South American Championships | Cali, Colombia | 1st | High jump | 1.93 m |
| 2005 | South American Championships | Cali, Colombia | 3rd | Long jump | 6.30 m (−3.0 m/s) |
| 2005 | South American Championships | Cali, Colombia | 3rd | Triple jump | 13.59 m (+1.3 m/s) |
| 2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 23rd (q) | High jump | 1.84 m |
| 2005 | Bolivarian Games | Armenia, Colombia | 1st | High jump | 1.91 m GR A |
| 2005 | Bolivarian Games | Armenia, Colombia | 1st | Long jump | 6.54 m (+0.7 m/s) GR A |
| 2005 | Bolivarian Games | Armenia, Colombia | 2nd | Triple jump | 13.64 m (+1.9 m/s) A |
| 2006 | World Indoor Championships | Moscow, Russia | 17th (q) | High jump | 1.81 m |
| 2006 | Central American and Caribbean Games | Cartagena, Colombia | 2nd | High jump | 1.88 m |
| 2006 | Central American and Caribbean Games | Cartagena, Colombia | 2nd | Long jump | 6.36 m (+0.5 m/s) |
| 2006 | South American Championships | Tunja, Colombia | 1st | High jump | 1.90 m |
| 2006 | South American Championships | Tunja, Colombia | 2nd | Long jump | 6.51 m A w (+3.8 m/s) |
| 2006 | South American Championships | Tunja, Colombia | 2nd | Triple jump | 13.91 m A (+0.9 m/s) |
| 2006 | South American Under-23 Championships / South American Games | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2nd | High jump | 1.85 m |
| 2006 | South American Under-23 Championships / South American Games | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 1st | Long jump | 6.32 m (+1.1 m/s) |
| 2006 | South American Under-23 Championships / South American Games | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2nd | Triple jump | 13.26 m w (+2.5 m/s) |
| 2007 | ALBA Games | Caracas, Venezuela | 1st | High jump | 1.85 m |
| 2007 | Pan American Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 4th | High jump | 1.87 m |
| 2007 | South American Championships | São Paulo, Brazil | 1st | High jump | 1.84 m |
| 2007 | South American Championships | São Paulo, Brazil | 3rd | Long jump | 6.18 m (+0.9 m/s) |
| 2008 | Ibero-American Championships | Iquique, Chile | 2nd | High jump | 1.85 m |
| 2008 | Central American and Caribbean Championships | Cali, Colombia | 2nd | High jump | 1.88 m |
| 2008 | Central American and Caribbean Championships | Cali, Colombia | 6th | Triple jump | 13.04 m (−2.0 m/s) |
| 2009 | South American Championships | Lima, Peru | 1st | High jump | 1.88 m A |
| 2009 | South American Championships | Lima, Peru | 1st | Triple jump | 13.93 m A (+0.5 m/s) |
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 28th (q) | High jump | 1.85 m |
| 2009 | Bolivarian Games | Sucre, Bolivia | 1st | High jump | 1.80 m A |
| 2009 | Bolivarian Games | Sucre, Bolivia | 1st | Long jump | 6.32 m A (−0.4 m/s) |
| 2009 | Bolivarian Games | Sucre, Bolivia | 2nd | Triple jump | 13.96 m A (−0.3 m/s) |
| 2010 | Ibero-American Championships | San Fernando, Spain | 2nd | Triple jump | 14.29 m (+2.0 m/s) |
| 2010 | Central American and Caribbean Games | Mayagüez, Puerto Rico | 4th | Long jump | 6.29 m (−0.5 m/s) |
| 2010 | Central American and Caribbean Games | Mayagüez, Puerto Rico | 2nd | Triple jump | 14.10 m (+0.8 m/s) |
| 2011 | South American Championships | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 3rd | Long jump | 6.45 m (−0.5 m/s) |
| 2011 | South American Championships | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 1st | Triple jump | 14.59 m w (+2.2 m/s) |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 3rd | Triple jump | 14.84 m (+0.4 m/s) |
| 2011 | Pan American Games | Guadalajara, Mexico | 3rd | Long jump | 6.63 m (+1.6 m/s) NR |
| 2011 | Pan American Games | Guadalajara, Mexico | 1st | Triple jump | 14.92 m (+0.1 m/s) |
| 2012 | Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 2nd | Triple jump | 14.80 m (+0.4 m/s) |
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 1st | Triple jump | 14.85 m (+0.4 m/s) |
| 2014 | Continental Cup | Marrakesh, Morocco | 1st | Triple jump | 14.52 m (−0.5 m/s) |
| 2014 | Central American and Caribbean Games | Xalapa, Mexico | 1st | Triple jump | 14.57 m A (−0.4 m/s) |
| 2015 | Pan American Games | Toronto, Canada | 1st | Triple jump | 15.08 m (w) |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 1st | Triple jump | 14.90 m |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 1st | Triple jump | 15.17 m |
| 2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 2nd | Triple jump | 14.89 m |
| 2018 | Central American and Caribbean Games | Barranquilla, Colombia | 1st | Long jump | 6.83 m (w) |
| 2018 | Central American and Caribbean Games | Barranquilla, Colombia | 1st | Triple jump | 14.92 m |
| 2018 | Continental Cup | Ostrava, Czech Republic | 1st | Long jump | 6.93 m NR |
| 2018 | Continental Cup | Ostrava, Czech Republic | 1st | Triple jump | 14.76 m |
| 2019 | Pan American Games | Lima, Peru | 5th | Long jump | 6.54 m |
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 3rd | Triple jump | 14.73 m |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 10th | Triple jump | 14.25 m |

## Honours

* Colombia:
** Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (12 December 2018)

## Awards

* 2018 IAAF Female athlete of the year award