Racing Louisville boosted its attacking ranks with the signing of Colombia national team forward Elexa Bahr, the club announced Thursday.
The 25-year-old Bahr signed a two-year contract through the 2025 season. She most recently played for Colombian powerhouse América de Cali, where she scored six goals in 17 appearances to help the club win the first stage of league play and finish as runners-up in the Liga Profesional Femenina knockout tournament.
“We truly believe Elexa’s fluidity and ability will enhance our group’s attack,” said Racing head coach Bev Yanez. “She has a strong willingness and vision to work on both sides of the ball in when and how to be involved. She wants to be effective in all capacities, and we are so excited she will be in purple.”
“I am super stoked to get the opportunity to come back to the U.S. and play professionally for Racing Louisville,” Bahr said. “I am extremely thankful to God, my family and friends and my past teams for believing in me and supporting me throughout my career. I believe that I can continue to grow and learn here in Louisville, and I hope to bring a different style and point of view to the game. Thank you to the program and Bev and Ryan for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this amazing club, and I am super excited to see what the future holds!”
“We are excited to add Elexa to our club,” said Racing general manager Ryan Dell. “She provides a unique dynamic to our attack coupled with international experience. We are thrilled for her to return to the U.S. and for her chance to make a mark in the NWSL.”
Bahr, who was born in Georgia and grew up outside Atlanta, was a part of Colombia’s history-making 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad that reached the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time. Deployed as a winger, attacking midfielder or forward, Bahr has made 16 appearances with Colombia, including three as a substitute at the 2022 Copa América Femenina, where the Colombians finished as runner-up.
Before switching to Colombia’s senior national team, Bahr played for the Honduras U-20 squad in 2015 U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
Bahr comes from a soccer family. Her father, Alex, who is Honduran, played professional soccer there and in Mexico, along with a stint with the Atlanta Silverbacks. Her brother, also named Alex, played in the Atlanta United and New York Red Bulls academies.
At the University of South Carolina, Bahr became one of the program’s most successful players, tying a Gamecocks mark for most career points in the NCAA Tournament with three goals and three assists. In 88 games over her four-year career, Bahr totaled 18 goals and 11 assists, including nine helpers her senior year.
In her first professional stop, Bahr scored 11 goals in 46 appearances over two years for Racing Féminas in the Spanish second division. She had a brief stint at Deportivo Cali before moving to América de Cali early last year.
At Racing, Bahr adds reinforcement to Louisville’s reconfigured front lines, joining new signing Linda Motlhalo, a South Africa national team star, and returning forwards Parker Goins, Uchenna Kanu and Kirsten (Davis) Wright. Racing also drafted UCLA and U.S. Youth National Team star Reilyn Turner and Ohio State winger Emma Sears to bolster its attacking group.
