Oscar Figueroa is a former weightlifter from Colombia. Oscar Figueroa earned an Olympic gold medal in 2016. On his fourth attempt at competing, he earned gold, whereas, on his third attempt, he won silver.
He decided to retire from weightlifting after winning the Olympic gold medal.
He did, however, compete in the world championship again. He has now decided to officially retire from weightlifting once more.
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Education and Childhood
Oscar Figueroa was born on April 27, 1983, in the small Colombian municipality of Zaragoza, Cartago Valle del Cauca.
His father, Jorge Isaac Figueroa, and his mother, Ermelinda Mosquera, gave birth to him.
Oscar Albeiro Figueroa Mosquera is also his full name. He is of Colombian and African-American descent.
In terms of his schooling, he attended the University of Santiago de Cali.
Figueroa, likewise, began training as a weightlifter at a young age.
Aside from that, he came from a little village and went on to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
Furthermore, little information concerning his early life or education can be uncovered.
However, we see that he was engaged in weightlifting in his youth.
Net Worth and Salary
Oscar Figueroa’s net worth has not unfolded yet.
However, he may have earned a fair amount of money through weightlifting because his primary revenue source was weightlifting.
Moreover, according to his Instagram post, he is working as a physical trainer.
Though his specific earning amount is not revealed, he enjoys and spends his life on his choice.
Additionally, Oscar has become the face of the Columbian sport since he grabbed a gold medal as per the statement given by the Colombian Weightlifting Federation President, William Pena.
Facts of Oscar Figueroa
| Full Name | Oscar Albeiro Figueroa Mosquera |
| Known as | Oscar Figueroa |
| Birth Date | April 27, 1983 |
| Birth Place | Zaragoza, Colombia |
| Nick Name | N/A |
| Religion | N/A |
| Nationality | Colombian |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| University | Santiago de Cali University |
| Horoscope | Taurus |
| Father’s Name | Jorge Isaac Figueroa |
| Mother’s Name | Ermelinda Mosquera |
| Age | 39 years old |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (161 cm ) |
| Weight | 146 lb (66 kg) |
| Reach | 74 inches (188 cm) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Net Worth | N/A |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Girlfriend | No |
| Children | No |
| Profession | Weightlifting |
| Division | 62 kg & 67 kg |
| Build | Athlete |
| Coached by | Jaiber Manjarres, Oswaldo Pinilla |
| Years Active | 2008-2019 |
| Sport | Olympic Weightlifting |
| Events | -67kg |
| Coached by | Jaiber Manjarres, Oswaldo Pinilla |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Documentary | Oscar Figueroa: Against all odds |
| Weightlifting Merch | Shoes, Gloves |
| Last Update | June 2022 |
Career
As we know, Oscar has been weightlifting since childhood. Accordingly, he succeeded in participating in the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Pan American Games.
However, his trip to those games was not comfortable, and he had to confront many disappointments.
But there is a saying, failure is the way to success. Therefore, he learned from failure and was able to grab success.
Olympic Games and Injury
Firstly, Figueroa started his adventure at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the 56 kg category, lifting 280 kg.
However, it wasn’t turned out as predicted and placed in position 5th in snatch and the clean & jerk category. Consequently, he was positioned in 5th.
Afterward, Oscar participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. But unfortunately, he was unable to accomplish a lift in the snatch category.
Due to his injuries, he couldn’t lift the bar from the floor in all three efforts. Figueroa had a cervical hernia, which rendered his right hand weak. Then, he departed the Olympics without registering a result and had surgery for a cervical hernia.
After his rehabilitation from a hernia injury, he came back at the London 2012 Summer Olympics in the 62kg category and achieved an Olympic record of 317kg.
Likewise, Oscar ranked in 3rd position in the snatch category while 1st in clean & jerk. Consequently, He made his comeback worthwhile and won the silver medal.
Nonetheless, his ultimate ambition was to win the gold medal, which was realized on August 8, 2016. He won the gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro with 318 kg lifting in the 62 kg division.
Nevertheless, Figueroa took off his shoes and laid them on the platform, and announced his immediate departure from the sport.
World Championships
Figueroa had participated in a total of 9 World Weightlifting Championships in his Weightlifting career.
Likewise, he had participated in the men’s 62 kg division at the 2006 World Weightlifting Championships and earned the silver medal. He ranked in 2nd position in both snatch and clean & jerk categories.
Besides, Oscar ranked 4th in three World Weightlifting Championships of 2007, 2009, and 2011 in the 62 kg category.
Additionally, he earned the bronze medal in the World Weightlifting Championships in 2013 and 2015 in the 62 kg division.
Furthermore, Oscar returned to the World Weightlifting Championships of 2018 and 2019 in the 67 kg after retirement. Besides, he was positioned in 5th and 10th rank.
Pan American Games
Nonetheless, Oscar won the gold medal in the 62 kg division of the Pan American Games of 2011 and 2015. Likewise, he made 1st position in the snatch while 1st position in the clean & jerk category in the 2011 Pan American Games.
Additionally, he made 2nd position in the snatch while 1st in the clean & jerk category in the 2015 Pan American Games.
Retirement
In 2019, Figueroa has accepted official retirement from his weightlifting career.
However, after a year of retirement, he has decided to share his technical, physical sports, and mental experience with the upcoming generation to achieve their goal.
According to his Instagram post, now he is working as a snatch-clean and jerk trainer. He and his team provide free training through their online website Olympic Master Mind for weightlifting athletes.
Prior to his retirement, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) claimed that Figueroa was disqualified from participating in various weightlifting contests.
This was the outcome of neglecting to notify his whereabouts as per requirement.
The IWF has to perform surprise doping tests set by International anti-doping laws.
Personal Life and Wife
Moving towards the Olympic medalist’s personal life, Oscar Figueroa maintains his personal life private.
There is no information regarding his relationship or romance.
He seems a more focused guy in his professional life.
Therefore, he has had no involvement in any disputes to date.
Furthermore, his marital status is single according to numerous resources.
However, he will find his soulmate and will be mingled in the future surely.
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Height, and Weight
Oscar Figueroa weighs roughly 145 lb (67 kg) while standing at 5 feet 3 inches (161 cm ) tall.
Also, he has black hair coupled with brown-colored eyes.
Furthermore, he has an athletic and well-maintained body.
Social Media Presence
Social media is a convenient platform for celebrities to engage with fans and followers.
Similarly, the gold medalist Oscar is available on Instagram as well as on Twitter too.
His Instagram has 97.1k followers and his Twitter has 5.5k followers.
