Helmut Bellingrodt

Helmut Bellingrodt was Colombia’s first Olympic silver medallist, and he remained the most successful Colombian Olympian until [María Isabel Urrutia] won a gold medal in the Sydney Olympics. His 1972 silver medal in the running target event meant his international breakthrough, and he won World Championship medals the following years. A world record performance at the 1974 event gave him the world title and made him Colombian sportsperson of the year. He added another world title in 1978, winning the team event, together with his brothers Hanspeter and Horst. He closed his career with another Olympic silver in 1984. Bellingrodt also worked as director of Coldeportes, an institute for Youth and Sports