Athletics at the 1955 Pan American Games
Encyclopedia

The Athletics Competition at the 1955 Pan American Games
1955 Pan American Games
The 2nd Pan American Games opened on March 12, 1955 in the University Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico, in front of a capacity crowd of 100,000 spectators....

was held in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

.

Men's events

100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...

Rod Richard
Rod Richard
Rodney Richard is an American athlete who competed in the 1955 Pan American Games.At the 1955 Pan American Games he won the gold medal in the 100 metre event as well as in the 200 metre competition...


 United States
10.3A Mike Agostini
Mike Agostini
Mike Agostini is a former track and field athlete from Trinidad and Tobago. In 1954, he became the first athlete from that state to take a gold medal at what is now known as the Commonwealth Games when he won the 100 yards final in Vancouver, Canada on July 31.-References:* * * at Best of Trinidad...


 Trinidad and Tobago
10.4A Willie Williams
Willie Williams (athlete)
Willie Williams is a former American sprinter who set the 100 metres world record in 1956, with a new time of 10.1s, one-tenth of second faster than Jesse Owens' previous record....


 United States
10.4A
200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...

Rod Richard
Rod Richard
Rodney Richard is an American athlete who competed in the 1955 Pan American Games.At the 1955 Pan American Games he won the gold medal in the 100 metre event as well as in the 200 metre competition...


 United States
20.94A Charles Thomas
 United States
21.42A José Telles da Conceição
 Brazil
Mike Agostini
Mike Agostini
Mike Agostini is a former track and field athlete from Trinidad and Tobago. In 1954, he became the first athlete from that state to take a gold medal at what is now known as the Commonwealth Games when he won the 100 yards final in Vancouver, Canada on July 31.-References:* * * at Best of Trinidad...


 Trinidad and Tobago
21.66A
21.67A
400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...

Lou Jones
 United States
45.68A Jim Lea
 United States
45.78A Jesse Mashburn
Jesse Mashburn
Jesse William Mashburn is a former American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x400 m relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics....


 United States
46.44A
800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...

Arnie Sowell
Arnie Sowell
Arnold M. Sowell is a former middle distance runner from the United States, who represented his native country at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. He is best known for winning the gold medal in the men's 800 metres event during the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City...


 United States
1:49.86A Lon Spurrier
 United States
1:50.51A Ramón Sandoval
 Chile
1:52.52A
1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...

Juan Miranda
 Argentina
3:53.30A Wes Santee
Wes Santee
David Wesley Santee was an American middle distance runner and athlete who competed mainly in the 1,500 meters and mile events....


 United States
3:53.44A Fred Dwyer
 United States
3:56.04A
5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...

Osvaldo Suárez
Osvaldo Suárez
Juan Osvaldo Roberto Suárez is a long-distance runner from Argentina who won four gold medals at the Pan American Games. He represented his native country at two Summer Olympics: 1960 and 1964. After his active career, he became a professional athletics coach.-References:...


 Argentina
15:30.6A Horace Ashenfelter
Horace Ashenfelter
Horace Ashenfelter, III is a retired American athlete. He competed in international athletics from 1947 to 1956 after service in World War II and the completion of his degree at Penn State....


 United States
15:31.4A Jaime Correa Córdoba
 Chile
15:39.2A
10,000 metres Osvaldo Suárez
Osvaldo Suárez
Juan Osvaldo Roberto Suárez is a long-distance runner from Argentina who won four gold medals at the Pan American Games. He represented his native country at two Summer Olympics: 1960 and 1964. After his active career, he became a professional athletics coach.-References:...


 Argentina
32:42.6A Vicente Sánchez
 Mexico
33:00.4A Jaime Correa Córdoba
 Chile
33:42.6A
Marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...

Doroteo Flores
 Guatemala
2:59:10A Onésimo Rodríguez
 Mexico
3:02:22A Luis Velázquez
 Guatemala
3:05:26A
3000 m steeple
Steeplechase (athletics)
The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...

Guillermo Solá
Guillermo Solá
Guillermo Solá Aravena is a retired middle- and long-distance runner from Chile. He won the gold medal in the men's 3.000 metres steeplechase event at the 1955 Pan American Games. Solá represented his native South American country at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.-References:*...


 Chile
9:46.8A Santiago Novas
 Chile
9:50.4A Eligio Galicia
 Mexico
9:54.2A
110 m hurdles Jack Davis
Jack Davis (athlete)
Jack Wells Davis is a former American athlete, silver medalist in the 1952 and 1956 Olympics over 110 meter high hurdles. Davis lost to Harrison Dillard in 1952 with the same time as the winner, and lost to Lee Calhoun in 1956, again with the same time as the winner...


 United States
14.44A Keith Gardner
Keith Gardner
Keith Alvin Saint Hope Gardner was a Jamaican athlete who competed in the 110 metre hurdles, 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres....


 Jamaica
14.74A Evaristo Iglesias
 Cuba
14.94A
400 m hurdles Josh Culbreath
Josh Culbreath
Joshua Culbreath was an American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 meter hurdles — the national outdoor champion from 1953 to 1955; three-time winner of the event in the Penn Relays in the same years, and Olympic bronze medal winner in 1956, while he was serving in the U.S...


 United States
51.5A Jaime Aparicio
 Colombia
51.8A Wilson Carneiro
 Brazil
53.0A
High jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....

Ernie Shelton
Ernie Shelton
Ernest Shelton was a male high jumper from the United States, who competed in the 1950s. He won the gold medal at the 1955 Pan American Games....


 United States
2.01A Herman Wyatt
 United States
2.01A José Telles da Conceição
 Brazil
1.91A
Pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...

Bob Richards
Bob Richards
The Reverend Robert Eugene Richards, known as Bob Richards , known as the "Vaulting Vicar" or the "Pole Vaulting Parson" in his competitive days, was a versatile athlete who made three Olympic teams in two events...


 United States
4.50A Bobby Smith
 United States
4.30A Don Laz
 United States
4.30A
Long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...

Rosslyn Range
Rosslyn Range
Rosslyn Range was a male long jumper from the United States, who competed in the 1950s for his native country. Range set his personal best in the men's long jump event on March 14, 1955 at a the 1955 Pan American Games....


 United States
8.03A John Bennett
John Bennett (athlete)
John Dale Bennett was an American athlete who competed mainly in the Long Jump.He competed for the United States in the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia in the Long Jump where he won the silver medal....


 United States
8.01A Ary de Sá
Ary de Sá
Ary Façanha de Sá is a former Brazilian long jumper.At the 1952 Summer Olympics he finished fourth in the long jump. He also competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics. He became South American long jump champion in 1952, won silver medals in 1956 and 1958 and a bronze medal in 1954...


 Brazil
7.84A
Triple jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...

Adhemar da Silva
Adhemar da Silva
Adhemar Ferreira da Silva is a former Brazilian athlete who competed in the triple jump. He won two Olympic gold medals and set four world records in athletics, the last being 16.56 metres in 1955 Pan American Games.He was born in São Paulo, in a poor family, and began competing in the triple jump...


 Brazil
16.56A Arnoldo Devonish
Arnoldo Devonish
Arnoldo Vicente Devonish Romero was a track and field athlete from Venezuela, who won the first Olympic medal for his native country from South America....


 Venezuela
16.13A Víctor Hernández
 Cuba
15.60A
Shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....

Parry O'Brien
Parry O'Brien
William Parry O'Brien, Jr. was an American shot put champion. Born in Santa Monica, California, he competed in four consecutive Summer Olympics where he won two gold medals and one silver medal . In his last Olympic competition he placed fourth. For this, he is inducted in the U.S...


 United States
17.59A Fortune Gordien
Fortune Gordien
Fortune Everett Gordien was an American athlete who competed mainly in the discus throw.Born in Spokane, Washington he competed for the United States in the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London, Great Britain in the discus throw where he won the bronze medal behind two Italians, Adolfo Consolini...


 United States
15.98A Marty Engel
 United States
14.62A
Discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...

Fortune Gordien
Fortune Gordien
Fortune Everett Gordien was an American athlete who competed mainly in the discus throw.Born in Spokane, Washington he competed for the United States in the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London, Great Britain in the discus throw where he won the bronze medal behind two Italians, Adolfo Consolini...


 United States
53.10A Parry O'Brien
Parry O'Brien
William Parry O'Brien, Jr. was an American shot put champion. Born in Santa Monica, California, he competed in four consecutive Summer Olympics where he won two gold medals and one silver medal . In his last Olympic competition he placed fourth. For this, he is inducted in the U.S...


 United States
51.07A Hernán Haddad
 Chile
47.14A
Hammer throw
Hammer throw
The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...

Bob Backus
Bob Backus
Robert Hudson Backus was an American track and field star who set world records in the hammer throw wearing ballet slippers after using weight training to overcome the effects of meningitis....


 United States
54.91A Marty Engel
 United States
53.36A Elvio Porta
 Argentina
51.45A
Javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...

Franklin "Bud" Held
 United States
69.77A Ricardo Heber
 Argentina
66.15A Reinaldo Oliver
 Puerto Rico
65.56A
Decathlon
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...

Rafer Johnson
Rafer Johnson
Rafer Lewis Johnson is an American former decathlete and film actor.-Biography:Johnson was born in Hillsboro, Texas, but the family moved to Kingsburg, California, when he was nine. For a while, they were the only black family in the town. A versatile athlete, he played on Kingsburg High School's...


 United States
6994A Bob Richards
Bob Richards
The Reverend Robert Eugene Richards, known as Bob Richards , known as the "Vaulting Vicar" or the "Pole Vaulting Parson" in his competitive days, was a versatile athlete who made three Olympic teams in two events...


 United States
6886A Hernán Figueroa
Hernán Figueroa
Hernán Figueroa Bueg is a former decathlete from Chile. He won the gold medal in the men's decathlon event at the inaugural Pan American Games in 1951. He is a two-time Olympian for his native South American country.-References:*...


 Chile
5740A
4 x 100 m relay
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...

 United States
Rod Richard
Rod Richard
Rodney Richard is an American athlete who competed in the 1955 Pan American Games.At the 1955 Pan American Games he won the gold medal in the 100 metre event as well as in the 200 metre competition...


Willie Williams
Willie Williams (athlete)
Willie Williams is a former American sprinter who set the 100 metres world record in 1956, with a new time of 10.1s, one-tenth of second faster than Jesse Owens' previous record....


Charles Thomas
John Bennett
John Bennett (athlete)
John Dale Bennett was an American athlete who competed mainly in the Long Jump.He competed for the United States in the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia in the Long Jump where he won the silver medal....

40.96A  Venezuela
Clive Bonas
Guillermo Gutiérrez
Apolinar Solórzano
Juan Leiva
41.36A  Mexico
Higuera
Javier Souza
René Ahumada
Goya
41.94A
4 x 400 m relay
4 x 400 metres relay
The 4 x 400 meters relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 meters or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the first 500 meters is run in lanes...

 United States
Jesse Mashburn
Jesse Mashburn
Jesse William Mashburn is a former American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x400 m relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics....


Lon Spurrier
Jim Lea
Lou Jones
3:07.43A  Jamaica
Moore
Stick
Keith Gardner
Keith Gardner
Keith Alvin Saint Hope Gardner was a Jamaican athlete who competed in the 110 metre hurdles, 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres....


Mel Spence
3:12.63A  Venezuela
Juan Leiva
Guillermo Gutiérrez
Edie
Apolinar Solórzano
3:15.93A

Women's events

60 metres
60 metres
60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...

Bertha Díaz
Bertha Díaz
Julia Bertha Díaz Hernández is a retired sprinter from Cuba, who also competed in the long jump and the hurdling events during her career. She represented her native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1956.-References:*...


 Cuba
7.5A Isabelle Daniels
Isabelle Daniels
Isabelle Daniels is an American athlete, who mainly competed in the 100 metres....


 United States
7.6A Mabel Landry
 United States
7.6A
100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...

Barbara Jones
 United States
11.90A Mae Faggs
Mae Faggs
Heriwentha Faggs Starr1 was an American athlete who mainly competed in the sprint events. She graduated from Bayside High School, and then went to Tennessee State University to run under Hall of Fame coach Ed Temple, one of the first U.S...


 United States
12.07A María Luisa Castelli
 Argentina
12.38A
80 m hurdles Eliana Gaete
Eliana Gaete
Eliana Gaete is a female former track and field athlete from Chile. She earned gold medals in women's 80m hurdles at the 1951 and 1955 Pan American Games.-References:*...


 Chile
11.7A Bertha Díaz
Bertha Díaz
Julia Bertha Díaz Hernández is a retired sprinter from Cuba, who also competed in the long jump and the hurdling events during her career. She represented her native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1956.-References:*...


 Cuba
11.8A Wanda dos Santos
Wanda dos Santos
Wanda dos Santos is a retired female hurdler from Brazil, who represented her native country at two Summer Olympics, starting in 1952. She won a total number of four individual medals at the Pan American Games during her career....


 Brazil
11.8A
High jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....

Mildred McDaniel
Mildred McDaniel
Millie "Tex" McDaniel-Singleton was an American athlete, who competed mainly in the women's high jump event during her career....


 United States
1.685A Deyse de Castro
 Brazil
1.59A Verneeda Thomas
 United States
1.59A
Discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...

Ingeborg Pfüller
Ingeborg Pfüller
Ingeborg Ella Pfüller was a female track and field athlete from Argentina, competing in the discus throw. She represented her native country at the 1952 Summer Olympics, and won the gold medal in the women's discus throw event at the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City, Mexico.-References:*...


 Argentina
43.19A Isabel Avellán
 Argentina
40.06A Alejandrina Herrera
 Cuba
38.00A
Javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...

Karen Anderson
 United States
49.15A Estrella Puente
 Uruguay
43.43A Amelia Wershoven
 United States
43.06A
4 x 100 m relay
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...

 United States
Barbara Jones
Isabelle Daniels
Isabelle Daniels
Isabelle Daniels is an American athlete, who mainly competed in the 100 metres....


Mae Faggs
Mae Faggs
Heriwentha Faggs Starr1 was an American athlete who mainly competed in the sprint events. She graduated from Bayside High School, and then went to Tennessee State University to run under Hall of Fame coach Ed Temple, one of the first U.S...


Mabel Landry
47.12A  Argentina
Lilián Heinz
Lilián Buglia
María Luisa Castelli
Gladys Erbetta
47.27A  Chile
Eliana Gaete
Eliana Gaete
Eliana Gaete is a female former track and field athlete from Chile. She earned gold medals in women's 80m hurdles at the 1951 and 1955 Pan American Games.-References:*...


Betty Kretschmer
?
?
49.49A


A = affected by altitude

Medal table

1  United States 20 14 8 42
2  Argentina 4 3 2 9
3  Chile 2 1 6 9
4  Brazil 1 1 5 7
5  Cuba 1 1 3 5
6  Guatemala 1 0 1 2
7  Mexico 0 2 2 4
8  Venezuela 0 2 1 3
9  Jamaica 0 2 0 2
10  Trinidad and Tobago 0 1 1 2
11  Uruguay 0 1 0 1
 Colombia 0 1 0 1
13  Puerto Rico 0 0 1 1
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK