The Colombian Olympic Committee (Spanish: Comité Olímpico Colombiano) sent the nation's largest ever delegation to the Games, with 147 athletes, 74 men and 73 women, competing across 23 sports.

The nation's most significant highlight of the Games came from BMX rider Mariana Pajón, who successfully defended her title in the women's race and set a record as the first Colombian to receive two Olympic gold medals.

The Colombian Olympic Committee (Spanish: Comité Olímpico Colombiano) confirmed a team of 147 athletes, 74 men and 73 women, to compete across 23 sports at the Games.

[8] Along with Figueroa, three Colombian athletes also vied for their fourth consecutive appearance, including race walker Luis Fernando López, backstroke swimmer Omar Pinzón, and weightlifter Ubaldina Valoyes (women's 75 kg).

Artistic gymnast Jossimar Calvo was initially selected through a nationwide online text-message voting to carry the Colombian flag, but forced to decline the honor due to his competition schedule on the first day of the Games.

[9] Instead, Alvear, who entered the Games with a bronze medal from London 2012 and three world titles, took over Calvo's spot at the last minute to lead the Colombian team at the opening ceremony.

Three Colombian archers qualified for the women's events after having secured a top eight finish in the team recurve at the 2015 World Archery Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Yuberjen Martinez, Jorge Vivas, and Ingrit Valencia had claimed their Olympic spots at the 2016 American Qualification Tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

[18] Colombian riders qualified for a maximum of five quota places in the men's Olympic road race by virtue of their top 5 final national ranking in the 2015 UCI World Tour.

London 2012 Olympian Saskia Loretta van Erven Garcia had claimed an Olympic spot in the women's foil as the highest-ranked fencer from America outside the world's top 14 in the FIE Adjusted Official Rankings.

[28] Meanwhile, Jhon Edison Rodríguez rounded out the Colombian roster as the sole winner of the men's épée at the Pan American Zonal Qualifier in San José, Costa Rica.

Olympian Yadinis Amaris in the women's lightweight (57 kg) earned a continental quota spot from the Pan American region, as the highest-ranked Colombian judoka outside of direct qualifying position.

[46] Head coach: Laurent Palau Colombia has qualified a boat in the men's RS:X class by virtue of a top finish for Central & South America at the 2016 ISAF World Cup regatta in Miami, Florida, United States.

Lady Ruano secured the Olympic spot in the women's singles by virtue of her top six finish at the 2016 Latin American Qualification Tournament in Santiago, Chile.

Juan Sebastián Cabal and Robert Farah qualified directly for the men's doubles by virtue of their combined top 30 placement in the ATP World Rankings as of 6 June 2016.

[60] Colombian weightlifters have qualified five men's and four women's quota places for the Rio Olympics based on their combined team standing by points at the 2014 and 2015 IWF World Championships.