Cecilia Baena
Cecilia Margarita Baena Guzmán, better known as La Chechi Baena, is a Colombian former skater born on October 10, 1986 in Cartagena (Colombia). Outstanding in national and international competitions from a very early age, she became 24-time world champion in track and road modalities, being chosen as the athlete of the year in Colombia in 2001, being the most outstanding skater in Colombia in its history (and the third in world championships after Pedro Causil and Andrés Felipe Muñoz respectively) and the person responsible for inline skating having become popular on a surprising scale in the country.
Biography
Chechi Baena's skating career began at the age of five, when he entered the Cartagena League skating school. In 1996, when she was only ten years old, she asked her father to take her to see the World Youth Championship of this sport that was held in the Colombian city of Barrancabermeja and, as she herself claims, to witness the great skaters. of the moment in that event was the origin of her inspiration as a skater.
In 2000, after having won several regional and national championships, he began his preparation in the United States to compete in the World Class category, which he entered in an exceptional way because it was for people over 14 years old and Chechi was barely 13. Since then, she was projected internationally as a great distance and speed runner within the youth category of the Colombian National Team. Her first major international performance took place at the World Championships, which were held for the second time, although on this occasion she was in the joint category of seniors and juniors, in the city of Barrancabermeja in 2000, obtaining 4 gold medals and one of silver. At the world championships in Valence d'Agen (France) in 2001, Ostend (Belgium) in 2002, Barquisimeto (Venezuela) in 2003, Abruzzo (Italy) in 2004 and Anyang (South Korea) in 2006, the skater from Cartagena He confirmed his leadership by accumulating a total of 17 gold medals, 7 silver medals and 7 bronze medals.
Simultaneously, he competed in Pan American tournaments, international competitions and team races. At the national level, he obtained two titles representing the department of Bolívar and seven titles representing Bogotá. At the XXI Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayagüez (Puerto Rico) in 2010, he became a triple medalist, thus accumulating, with his performances in 2006 in his native Cartagena, and in 2002 in San Salvador (El Salvador), a total of 10 medals in you are fair In the World Inline Cup (a series of several skate marathons run around the world) he won gold medals in 2008 and 2009, and a silver medal in 2010. Between 2003 In 2007 he ran some races in the United States, Europe and Asia, winning the Walt Disney World Inline Marathon (2003 and 2004) and the Palm Beach Challenge (2003) in the United States., the Seoul World Inline Cup Marathon (2004) in Korea, the Rennes Sur Roulettes (2004) and the Nice en Roller (2004) in France, the Real Berlin Inline Marathon (2004) in Germany and the Swiss Inline Cup (2003) in Switzerland.
After his retirement from competitions in 2014, he founded the “Chechy Baena” Skating School, dedicated himself to finishing his professional studies in Business Administration at the Andean Area University Foundation, and in Social Communication at the University of la Sabana and the University of Cartagena. In 2017 she was named general coordinator of the “Bolívar 2019” National Games.
Awards and recognitions
World Championship
Gold and silver medals: 2000
Gold and silver medals: 2001
Gold and silver medals: 2002
Gold, silver and bronze medals: 2003
Gold and silver medals: 2004
Gold and silver medals: 2006
Central American and Caribbean Games
Gold medals: 2002
Gold medals: 2006
Gold medal: 2010
World Inline Cup
Champion 2008
Champion 2009
Runner-up 2010
Walt Disney World Inline Marathon
Champion 2003
Champion 2004
Palm Beach Challenge
Champion 2003
Seoul World Inline Cup Marathon
Champion 2004
Rennes Sur Roulettes
Champion 2004
Nice on Roller
Champion 2004
Real Berlin Inline Marathon
Champion 2004
Champion 2009
Swiss Inline Cup
Champion 2003
Champion 2008
Champion 2009
EuroCup Gross Gerau Germany
Champion 2011
Chronology
1986: Born in Cartagena (Bolívar).
1991: He began his training with the Cartagena Skating League.
2000: Gold medals at the Barracabermeja World Championship.
2001: Gold medals at the World Championships in Valence d'Agen.
2002: Gold medals at the World Championships in Ostend.
Gold medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games.
2003: Gold medals at the World Championships in Barquisimeto.
Palm Beach Challenge champion.
Champion of the Walt Disney World Inline Marathon.
Champion of the Swiss Inline Cup.
2004: Gold medals at the World Championships in Abruzzo.
Champion of the Walt Disney World Inline Marathon.
Champion of the Seoul World Inline Cup Marathon.
Champion of the Rennes Sur Roulettes.
Nice Roller Champion.
Champion of the Real Berlin Inline Marathon.
2006: Gold medals at the Anyang World Championships.
Gold medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games.
2008: World Inline Cup Champion.
World Inline Cup Champion.
Champion of the Swiss Inline Cup.
2009: World Inline Cup Champion.
Champion of the Swiss Inline Cup.
Champion of the Real Berlin Inline Marathon.
2010: Obtains gold medals at the Central American and Caribbean Games.
2011: Champion of the GrossGerau EuroCup in Germany.
2014: He retires from sports competitions.
2017: She was appointed coordinator of the “Bolívar 2019” National Games.