Venezuela's 4×400 relay shattered Bolivarian record

Published at: 04/12/2025 10:21 PM

The national athletics delegation celebrated an unforgettable day with the performance of the men's 4×400 relay that dominated the race with 03:04.00 and pulverized the Bolivarian Games brand that had been in the hands of Colombia since the Trujillo, Peru, 2013 event.

With an impeccable performance, the quartet composed of Kelvis Padrino and Javier Gómez, who won the gold and silver medal in the return to the individual oval, in addition to Axel Gómez and the Olympic player from Paris 2024, José Maita, won the victory against the teams from Ecuador, which registered 3:06.07 and Dominicana, which closed the podium in third place with 03:06.52.

From the starting shot, the nationals showed their might. The under-23 Axel Gómez was in charge of the first stage that he handed over in second place to José Maita. He came in third position, very close to the Dominican runner, while Ecuador temporarily held first place with at least 20 meters ahead.

Strategic domain

The hopes for Venezuela lay in the fastest runners, who were strategically reserved to close the race. Javier Gómez turned the story around by shortening the distance and passing the southern and Quisqueyan posts before passing the baton.

Finally, the Bolivarian champion of the 400 meters and the national record with 45.06, Kelvis Padrino, sealed the victory by crossing the finish line at 3:04.00, and turning the national quartet into new regional records for the event.

“We are very happy, three of us had already been together in Valledupar 2022 where we won the silver medal and now we are going with the gold medal,” recalled Padrino, who climbed to the top of the podium for the second time in Lima.

Javier Gómez reflected on the formula that led them to conquer glory: “Achieving the record is a great feat that may seem easy from the outside, but it requires work and a lot of effort. We all have different coaches, however, we successfully achieved this work together with a team that combines experience and youth in the same test.”

Total trust

The expectations of the team, renewed with the emerging under-23 figure of Axel Gómez, are very high. In the near future they hope to break the national record of 4×400 (3:00.82) set by the Olympic team of Arturo Ramírez, Alberto Aguilar, José Acevedo and Omar Longart at the 2011 Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, and to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

“We want to win gold next year at the South American Games in Rosario and the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, and to be the new national records for the 4×400. With Axel as a new member of the team, we can meet these objectives,” Padrino concluded.

Women's bronze

Venezuela also competed in the women's 4×400 with sprinters Nahomy García, María Rojas, Waleska Ortiz and Ana Torin who finished third with a time of 03:39.78, behind Colombia (03:34.10) and Dominicana (03:37.56).

With information from the Ministry for Sports

Mazo News Team