The stage was set. A renovated track in Medellín, over 400 athletes, and the 1st Pan American Track and Field Championships, with qualification for the 2027 Pan American Games on the line. Then Ronal Longa stepped up for his meet debut, and fans waited to see what the 21-year-old could do. They didn’t have to wait long as he blazed across the track, rewriting South American records, becoming the third fastest man in the world for 2026.

It was a magnificent display of speed from the 21-year-old and one that stunned fans. After all, nobody expected to see Longa fly across 100m in 9.85 seconds. He finished well ahead of second-place Eliezer Adjibi (9.92) and Eloy Benitez Castro (9.98). It marked a historic race as it was the first time ever in South American history that three sprinters had broken the sub-10.

And Longa led the pack the entire way. The 21-year-old started superbly and never relinquished his lead until the very end, soaring across the track. By the end of it, the youngster’s time meant that he broke the South American and Colombian records.

Brazilian Erick Felipe Barbosa held the former after he clocked 9.92 in 2025, while Longa held the latter himself. The 21-year-old broke Jhonny Renteria Jimenez’s previous time of 9.97 (2024) last year when he registered 9.96 in Savona. That makes Longa part of an elite company, as he owns two of the three sub-10 times that Colombian sprinters have clocked in history.

What makes that even more interesting is that it was only the second time that Ronal Longa had legally broken sub-10 in his career. Now he’s done it three times, and it’s seen him fly up the 2026 100m top list. Longa’s 9.85 puts him ahead of Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles (9.88) in third place. Only Oblique Seville (9.82) and Kayinsola Ajayi (9.84) sit ahead of him.

Now, having cracked the sub-9.9, the young Colombian is on track for great things. His win has qualified him for the 2027 Pan American Games. Doing it on home soil made the achievement even more special for the 21-year-old. Afterwards, Longa reflected on the race and was quick to credit both his teammates and longtime coach Nelson Gutiérrez.

Ronal Longa reflects on his record-breaking 100m run

Few expected Ronal Longa to break sub-9.9 in 2026. After all, the 21-year-old had never even come close to that mark with a wind-legal time, with his prior personal best being 9.96. However, the Colombian sprinter has enjoyed a superb start to the 2026 season, winning all but one race so far.

Even then, Longa’s season best going into the meet was a 10.03 he clocked in April. The 21-year-old did register 9.98 (+2.7) in late May but struggled to break sub-10 after that. However, during the heats at the Pan American Athletics Championships, he crossed the line in 10.00 flat. Then, in the final, the Colombian did the impossible, attributing it solely to the support he received.

“I had to push really hard because my teammates ran very well,” Longa told reporters after the race according to RunningColombia.com. “I love running at home and I feel everyone’s support. I have a lot of faith in my coach (Nelson Gutiérrez), he’s a great guy, that’s why I had to take a picture with him.”

It does make Ronal Longa one of the favourites to medal at the 2027 Pan American Games, and based on that, potentially a favourite for the 2028 Olympics. However, the 21-year-old has a ways to go before he can compete alongside Olympians, even if he is slowly making strides. That is something Professor Nelson Gutiérrez attested to, and he wants Longa to feel loved by Colombia.

“We’ve had setbacks, but in the end, the path opens up, and the hope of winning another Olympic medal for Colombia remains,” Gutierrez said. “I only ask for your support, just as it was given to Anthony Zambrano, and to Ronal Longa.

“Today, we predicted a 9.90, and we achieved it. It’s not a surprising result because he ran six races in Europe, all at a high technical level.”

Now, having finally broken sub-9.9, Ronal Longa believes he “can run faster than that”. Only time will tell, although the World Athletics Ultimate Championship could be the perfect showdown. 

The 21-year-old will be competing in Budapest alongside Olympic and World champions. Breaking South American sprint history in front of a home crowd is one thing. Backing it up against the world’s very best will be his real challenge in 2026.