Colombian gymnast Angel Barajas once again made history for his country’s sport by becoming champion at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup held in Baku, Azerbaijan. With a solid and precise performance in the parallel bars final, the young athlete claimed the gold medal and confirmed the strong form he is currently showing on the international circuit.
The victory of the young athlete from Cúcuta reinforces Colombia’s growing presence among the elite of world gymnastics. At 19 years old, Barajas is already considered one of the great emerging figures in the sport and continues to expand a résumé that began to take shape in the junior ranks and is now projecting strongly in senior competitions.
Colombia’s Angel Barajas crowned champion at gymnastics world cup
The triumph came in the parallel bars final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup held in Baku. Barajas earned a score of 14.600 points, enough to defeat Japan’s Wataru Tanigawa, who scored 14.200 points, and Australia’s Jesse Moore, who completed the podium with 14.000 points.
The Colombian’s routine stood out for its technical precision, control in transitions, and a clean dismount that ultimately convinced the judges. His execution showed confidence in every element and a steady rhythm that allowed him to make the difference against his rivals in a very competitive final.
The victory also carried a component of personal redemption. During the qualification round, Barajas had finished in fifth place with 13.633 points after suffering a fall in his routine. However, in the final he corrected the mistakes, raised the quality of his performance, and delivered the best routine on the apparatus to claim the top spot on the podium.
The result confirms the evolution of the Colombian gymnast in recent years and his ability to compete at the highest level against established athletes on the international circuit. It also represents a new achievement for Colombian gymnastics, a discipline that historically had little presence at the major events of the world calendar.
The gold medal in Baku comes at a moment of consolidation for Barajas. In recent years the athlete has put together several notable results at different stops on the World Cup circuit, allowing him to gain experience and position himself among the specialists on the parallel bars and horizontal bar.
On the international circuit he already has several medals in this type of competition. Among them are medals won at events held in cities such as Cairo, Szombathely, and Baku itself, where he had previously already reached the podium on different apparatuses.
These results have been the reflection of a sporting process supported by his technical team and by constant work at training centers. His coach, Jairo Ruiz, has been one of the key figures in the gymnast’s development, guiding him in the transition from the junior ranks to high-performance competition.
The Colombian’s performance in Azerbaijan also reinforces his profile as one of the Latin American athletes with the greatest potential in men’s artistic gymnastics. His style combines technical difficulty with clean execution, two fundamental aspects for competing for medals in international tournaments.
🇨🇴 Ángel Barajas, campeón en barras paralelas de la Copa Mundo 🏆 de Gimnasia Artística. El colombiano se quedó con el título en Bakú, Azerbaiyán 🇦🇿, tras un puntaje de 14.600.
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— Comité Olímpico COL (@OlimpicoCol) March 7, 2026
The trajectory of a young Colombian talent
Ángel Gabriel Barajas Vivas was born on August 12, 2006, in Cúcuta, in the department of Norte de Santander. From a very young age he showed aptitude for artistic gymnastics and quickly began to stand out in national and continental competitions.
His breakthrough on the international stage came in youth tournaments, where he achieved important results that positioned him as one of the promises of Colombian gymnastics. In 2023 he took part in the Junior World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antalya, Turkey, where he qualified for several finals and confirmed his potential on different apparatus.
The definitive leap came with his consolidation in the senior category and, especially, with his historic performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. There he became the first Colombian gymnast to win an Olympic medal and also the youngest Olympic medalist in the country’s history, an achievement that marked a before and after for this sport in Colombia.
Since then, Barajas has remained one of the country’s main representatives in artistic gymnastics. His results at the World Cup and other international events have consolidated him as an athlete capable of competing for medals on the most demanding stages.
The victory in Baku not only represents a new title in his career, but also confirms that his talent and discipline project him as one of the great names in world gymnastics in the coming years. At just 19 years old, the Colombian continues to expand his legacy and raise the country’s name in the elite of international sport.