LATINO MOMENTS IN THE OLYMPIADS SINCE 1900
by Mario Longoria

Olympiads | USA Olympians | Medal Count | Hopefuls | Links

II | III | VIII | IX | X | XI | XIV | XV | XVI | XVII | XVIII | XIX | XX
XXI | XXII | XXIII | XXIV | XXV | XXVI | Sources

II Olympiad - Paris, France 1900—The Latino experience begins with Spain's Marquis de Villaviciosa's silver medal in Game Shooting.

III Olympiad - St. Louis, Missouri 1904—Cuban Fencing Team led by Ramón Fonst wins every medal in the Fencing competition except for one in the sabre event.

	VIII Olympiad - Paris, France 1924—First USA Latino, Joe Salas, captures silver medal in the Flyweight division. Uruguay Soccer Team wins their first of two Olympic gold medals.
Salas on the right (USOC photo)

IX Oympiad - Amsterdam, Holland 1928—Argentina boxers win 2 gold and 2 silver in the boxing competition.

Filipino Teofilo Ydelfonso takes the first Olympic medal (bronze) for his country in the 200 meter breaststroke Swimming event.

Spain's Equestrian Team of Juan Morenes, José Los Trujillos and Julio Fernández take the gold in Team Show Jumping.

X Olympiad - Los Angeles, California 1932—Argentina runner Juan Zabala made Olympic history by winning the gold medal in the Marathon.

Argentina boxers continue to dominate boxing and garner another four medals.

USA Latino Miguel de Capriles parries his way to the bronze medal in Team Epee.  In 1948, he wins another bronze in Team Sabre.

XI Olympiad - Berlin, Germany 1936—Mexico's Polo and Basketball Teams win bronze medals.

Argentina's Jeanette Campbell takes the silver medal in the Women's 100 meter freestyle Swimming event.

XIV Olympiad - London, England 1948—Mexican diver Joaquín Capilla wins the first of his four Olympic medals in the Platform and Springboard Diving.

Panama's Lloyd Lebeach wins the only two Olympic medals (bronze) for his country in the 100 and 200 meter runs.

Juan Venegas wins Puerto Rico's first Olympic medal ever.  He boxed for the bronze in the Bantamweight division.

Mexico's Equestrian Team led by Humberto M. Cortés captures four medals in Individual and Team events.

XV Olympiad - Helsinki, Finland 1952—Brazil's Adhemar F. de Silva wins the first of his 2 gold medals in the Triple Jump.

Rowing Teams from Argentina and Uruguay win the gold and bronze medals in the Double Sculls.

Venezuela's Arnoldo Devonish places third in the Triple Jump for the bronze.  This is Venezuela's first Olympic medal.

XVI Olympiad - Melbourne, Australia 1956—Chile's Marlene Ahrens garners the silver medal in the Women's Javelin Throw.

XVII Olympiad - Rome, Italy 1960—Spain's Field Hockey Team wins the bronze.

Venezuela's Enrico P. Forcella takes a bronze in the Small Bore Rifle Shooting event.

XVIII Olympiad - Tokyo, Japan 1964—Cuba's Enrique Figuerola wins the silver in the 100 meters run.

XIX Olympiad - Mexico City, Mexico 1968—Mexico's Boxing Team wins four medals and swimmer Felipe Muñoz upsets the Russian champion in the 200 meters breaststroke to win the gold medal.

Cuba's 4x100 meter Men's Relay Team captures the silver medal.

Brazil's 4x100 meter Women's Relay Team takes a silver medal.

XX Olympiad - Munich, Germany 1972—Cuba's 4x100 meter Women's Relay Team wins the bronze.

Latino Boxers from 5 countries (Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Spain, USA) win 11 medals.  Cuba's Teofilo Stevenson takes his first of (3) heavyweight division gold medals.

XXI Olympiad - Montreal, Canada 1976—Alberto Juantoreno from Cuba wins gold medals in the 400 and 800 meter runs.

Mexico's Daniel Bautista is awarded the gold medal in the 20 KM Walk.

Latino Boxers from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Venezuela take another 12 Olympic Boxing medals.

Cuban Volleyball Team wins a bronze medal.

XXII Olympiad - Moscow, Russia 1980—Maria Colón of Cuba becomes the first Latina to win a gold medal.  She accomplishes this in the Javeline Throw.

Ten Cuban boxers win Olympic medals.

Brazil's Women's Swimming Team captures the bronze medal in the 4x200 meter Freestyle event.

Oswaldo M. Herbruger representing Guatemala, wins the silver in the Equestrian 3 Day Event for the country's only Olympic medal.

Spain's Yachting duo of Alesandro Abascal and Miguel Noguer win the gold medal in the Flying Dutchman competition.

XXIII Olympiad - Los Angeles, California 1984—Mexican walkers Ernesto Canto and Raúl González win 2 gold and 1 silver in the 20 KM and 50 KM Walks.

Portugal's Carlos López wins the gold in the Marathon.

USA Latino boxer Paul González takes the gold in the Light Flyweight division.

Boxer Pedro J. Nolasco from the Dominican Republic wins a silver medal in the Bantamweight division for his country's only Olympic medal.

USA Latino swimmer Pablo Morales takes (3) medals in the 100 meter Butterfly, 200 and 400 meter Individual Medley Swimming events.

XXIV Olympiad - Seoul, Korea 1988—Portugal's Rosa Mota wins the gold in the Women's Marathon.

Brazilian Aurelio Miguel takes the gold medal in Judo's half heavyweight class.

USA Latina Tracie Ruiz-Conforto is awarded the silver medal in Synchronized Swimming Solo event.  USA Latino boxer Michael Carbajal wins the silver in the Light Flyweight division.

Argentina's Mens Volleyball Team wins the bronze.

Peru's Women's Volleyball Team wins the silver medal.

XXV Olympiad - Barcelona, Spain 1992—Cuba's 4x100 meter Men's Relay Team wins the bronze; the 4x400 Relay Team wins the silver.

Cuban Baseball Team wins the gold medal.

Cuban Judo Team captures 4 medals.

Brazil's Men's Volleyball Team wins the gold.

Cuban Women's Volleyball Team also wins the gold medal.

The Soccer Team from Spain takes the gold.

Spain's Field Hockey Team scores a gold medal.

The Yachting Teams from Spain win 4 gold and 1 silver in the various Yachting events.

USA Latinos Oscar de La Hoya and Trent Dimas win gold medals in Boxing and Gymnastics respectively.  Also, swimmer Pablo Morales adds 2 gold medals to his collection of 2 silver and 1 gold.

XXVI Olympiad - Atlanta, Georgia 1996—Ecuador's Jefferson Pérez wins the gold in the 20 KM Walk, while Mexico's Bernardo Segura takes the bronze.

The tremendously talented Cuban Baseball Team wins the gold medal once again.

Brazilian swimmers win 2 bronze and 1 silver in the Freestyle events.

USA Latinas Gigi Fernández and Mary Jo Fernández capture the gold in Women's Tennis Doubles.

Cuban boxers easily garner 7 medals to dominate this Olympic sport.

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SOURCES

Bustamante, Antonio Rios and Estrada, William.  "The Latino Olympians:   A History of Latino American Participation in the Olympic Games, 1896-1984".   Los Angeles, California.  Caminos Magazine, 1984.

Chester, David.  The Olympic Games Handbook.  New York:  Charles Scribner's Sons, 1975.

Cohen, Stan.  The Games of '36:  A Pictorial History of the 1936 Olympics in Germany.  Missoula:  Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., Inc., 1996.

Henry, Bill and Yeoman, Patricia H.  An Approved History of the Olympic Games.   Sherman Oaks:  Alfred Publishing, 1984.

Heydari, Keyva Antonio.  "Olympian Tasks, Olympian Dreams."  VISTA:   The Magazine For All Hispanics.  Volume 11, Number 6, April 1996.

Longoria, Mario.  "Latino Olympic Moments."  VISTA:  The Magazine For All Hispanics.  Volume 11, Number 6, April 1996.

Nelson, Rebecca and MacNee, Marie, editors.  The Olympic Factbook:  A Spectator's Guide to the Summer Games.  Detroit:  Visible Ink Press, 1996.

1984 U.S. Olympic Team Media Guide.

1988 U.S. Olympic Team Media Guide.

1992 U.S. Olympic Team Media Guide.

1996 USA Team Media Guide.