This, combined with the announcement of the communist countries boycotting the 1984 Summer Olympics, looked to lead to a good result in Los Angeles the following year, so after the '83 Pan Ams Restrepo went to Canada to train.

[1] Although he announced his retirement and came back from North America, appeared again for the 1986 Central American and Caribbean Games (St. Domingo, Dominican Rep.) with a silver medal (behind the Cuban Hernández).

That result, but even more his new world championship final in Spain (in 1986 too) made him to return with the idea of the Olympic medal.

He got the gold in the 100 m in the South American Championships (over Brazil's Tortelli) in May 1988, but he failed to get his third Olympic final in Seoul that same year.

He continues to participate in swimming competitions and, showing a great longevity, he got the silver medal in 100 m. breaststroke in the 2003 Colombia National Championships, being at least 24 years older than the winner Diego Bonilla.