Joaquim Cruz
Encyclopedia
Joaquim Carvalho Cruz (born March 12, 1963) is a former Brazil
ian athlete, winner of the 800 m at the 1984 Summer Olympics
. He is one of only four men to run the 800 m
in less than 1:42.
Cruz was born in Taguatinga
, near Brasília
, as the son of a steel worker. He began running as a 13-year-old, and soon showed astonishing talent as a junior. At the age of only 15 his personal best over 800 m stood at 1:51 min. After setting a junior world record
of 1:44.3 min in 1981, he received a scholarship for the University of Oregon
in 1983. The move immediately paid off, and Cruz won the NCAA
championships over 800 m that same year. He also competed in the inaugural World Championships
in 1983, winning the bronze.
The following year, Cruz became one of only a handful of people to win the 800m/1500 m double at the 1984 NCAA Track & Field Championships (a feat that would not be repeated for another 26 years until another Oregon Duck, Andrew Wheating
, turned the trick in 2010). Later that summer, he ran a time of 2:14.09 min over 1000 m in Nice
which is still the current South American record over that distance.
The 1984 Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles
, and Cruz was considered to be one of the 800 m favorites, along with world record
holder Sebastian Coe of Britain. In the last turn of the 800 meter final, Cruz started a sprint from third place and took the lead, never losing it. He crossed the line in 1:43.00, breaking Alberto Juantorena
's Olympic Record and making him the first Brazilian Olympic track and field gold medalist since triple jump
er Adhemar Ferreira da Silva won both in 1952
and 1956
.
Later that week, after winning his first round heat of the Olympic 1500 m, Cruz, due to a cold, did not start in the semi-finals, which caused quite a stir among the Brazilians, who thought he didn't want to represent his country in an event in which his chances of winning were smaller. Cruz eventually recovered from his cold and had a remarkable five day stretch of racing a few weeks after the Olympic Games. First, he ran a new Brazilian 800 m record of 1:42.34 at the Weltklasse meet in Zurich, becoming only the second runner in history to break 1:43. Two days later he ran a 1:42.41 at the Memorial Van Damme
meet in Brussels
, and then two days after that, at a meeting in Cologne
, Cruz ran the second fastest 800 meters in history, his time of 1:41.77 beings only four hundredths of a second outside of Coe's world record. He is still the fourth fastest athlete in the history of the event. By the end of the year, he was the NCAA champion, the Olympic champion, undefeated in all seven of his 800 meter finals, had run the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th fastest 800 meter times in history, and easily ranked as #1 in the world for 800 meters in 1984 by Track & Field News
magazine.
In 1985 Cruz confirmed the excellent results of the previous year by winning six of his eight 800 meter races, the last three of which were won under 1:43: 1:42.98 at ISTAF, 1:42.53 in Cologne (beating Sebastian Coe), and 1:42.49 in Koblenz. His record was good enough to earn him a World #1 ranking by Track & Field News magazine for the second year in a row. He also ran the world's 3rd fastest 1,000 meter time for 1985, a 2:15.11. In the following two years he struggled with injuries and raced little, though he did manage to win the gold medal in the 1,500 meters at the 1987 Pan American Games
, defeating both Jim Spivey
(who within the next month would win a bronze medal at the World Championships) and American mile record holder Steve Scott
.
At the 1988 Summer Olympics
, Cruz appeared to be on his way to retain his Olympic 800 m title when he was passed by Kenya
n runner Paul Ereng
, leaving Cruz with the silver medal. Troubled by Achilles' tendon injuries, Cruz was never again able to reach the international top level. In 1993, he tried to make a comeback and started over 1500 m at various Grand Prix races in Europe but failed to make a major impact. His last victory of significance came in the 1500 meters at the 1995 Pan American Games
.
Cruz was a torchbearer and lit the flame cauldron at the 2007 Pan American Games
in Rio de Janeiro
, on July 13, 2007.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian athlete, winner of the 800 m at the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
. He is one of only four men to run the 800 m
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...
in less than 1:42.
Cruz was born in Taguatinga
Taguatinga (Federal District)
Taguatinga is an administrative region of Federal District, Brazil.Population: 243.575 inhabitants .It is now considered the economic capital of the Federal District.OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF GOVERNMENT: http://www.taguatinga.df.gov.br...
, near Brasília
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
, as the son of a steel worker. He began running as a 13-year-old, and soon showed astonishing talent as a junior. At the age of only 15 his personal best over 800 m stood at 1:51 min. After setting a junior world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
of 1:44.3 min in 1981, he received a scholarship for the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in 1983. The move immediately paid off, and Cruz won the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
championships over 800 m that same year. He also competed in the inaugural World Championships
1983 World Championships in Athletics
The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
in 1983, winning the bronze.
The following year, Cruz became one of only a handful of people to win the 800m/1500 m double at the 1984 NCAA Track & Field Championships (a feat that would not be repeated for another 26 years until another Oregon Duck, Andrew Wheating
Andrew Wheating
Andrew "Andy" Wheating is an American middle-distance track athlete. Wheating competed for the United States in the men's 800 m at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. He is a professional runner for Nike.-Personal:...
, turned the trick in 2010). Later that summer, he ran a time of 2:14.09 min over 1000 m in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
which is still the current South American record over that distance.
The 1984 Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and Cruz was considered to be one of the 800 m favorites, along with world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
holder Sebastian Coe of Britain. In the last turn of the 800 meter final, Cruz started a sprint from third place and took the lead, never losing it. He crossed the line in 1:43.00, breaking Alberto Juantorena
Alberto Juantorena
Alberto Juantorena Danger is a Cuban former track athlete. At the 1976 Summer Olympics, he became the first and so far only athlete to win both the 400 and 800 m Olympic titles....
's Olympic Record and making him the first Brazilian Olympic track and field gold medalist since 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...
er Adhemar Ferreira da Silva won both in 1952
Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics
At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, 33 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 9 for women. There were a total number of 963 participating athletes from 57 countries.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:-References:...
and 1956
Athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics
At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, 33 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 9 for women. There were a total number of 720 participating athletes from 61 countries.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:**...
.
Later that week, after winning his first round heat of the Olympic 1500 m, Cruz, due to a cold, did not start in the semi-finals, which caused quite a stir among the Brazilians, who thought he didn't want to represent his country in an event in which his chances of winning were smaller. Cruz eventually recovered from his cold and had a remarkable five day stretch of racing a few weeks after the Olympic Games. First, he ran a new Brazilian 800 m record of 1:42.34 at the Weltklasse meet in Zurich, becoming only the second runner in history to break 1:43. Two days later he ran a 1:42.41 at the Memorial Van Damme
Memorial Van Damme
Memorial van Damme is an annual athletics event at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium that takes place in late August or early September...
meet in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, and then two days after that, at a meeting in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Cruz ran the second fastest 800 meters in history, his time of 1:41.77 beings only four hundredths of a second outside of Coe's world record. He is still the fourth fastest athlete in the history of the event. By the end of the year, he was the NCAA champion, the Olympic champion, undefeated in all seven of his 800 meter finals, had run the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th fastest 800 meter times in history, and easily ranked as #1 in the world for 800 meters in 1984 by Track & Field News
Track & Field News
Track & Field News is a magazine founded in 1948 by brothers Bert Nelson & Cordner Nelson, focused on the world of track and field.The magazine provides coverage of athletics in the U.S.A. from the high school to national level as well as covering the sport on an international bases. The magazine...
magazine.
In 1985 Cruz confirmed the excellent results of the previous year by winning six of his eight 800 meter races, the last three of which were won under 1:43: 1:42.98 at ISTAF, 1:42.53 in Cologne (beating Sebastian Coe), and 1:42.49 in Koblenz. His record was good enough to earn him a World #1 ranking by Track & Field News magazine for the second year in a row. He also ran the world's 3rd fastest 1,000 meter time for 1985, a 2:15.11. In the following two years he struggled with injuries and raced little, though he did manage to win the gold medal in the 1,500 meters at the 1987 Pan American Games
1987 Pan American Games
The 1987 Pan American Games, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event which was celebrated in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, from 7 August to 23 August 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas competed in 30 sports earning...
, defeating both Jim Spivey
Jim Spivey
James Calvin Spivey is a former American middle distance runner and Olympian.Spivey began running competitively in 1975 as a sophomore in cross country and on the track at Fenton High School in Bensenville, Illinois...
(who within the next month would win a bronze medal at the World Championships) and American mile record holder Steve Scott
Steve Scott
Steve Scott is an American male athlete who is one of the greatest milers in American history. The silver medalist in the 1,500 meters at the inaugural IAAF World Outdoor Championships at Helsinki in 1983, Scott owns the U.S. indoor record in the 2000 meters...
.
At the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
, Cruz appeared to be on his way to retain his Olympic 800 m title when he was passed by Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n runner Paul Ereng
Paul Ereng
Paul Ereng is a former Kenyan athlete, and the surprise winner of the 800 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics.Born in Kitale, Trans-Nzoia, Kenya, Paul Ereng attended Starehe Boys Centre and School in Nairobi, Kenya. He was a promising 400 m runner until the end of 1987...
, leaving Cruz with the silver medal. Troubled by Achilles' tendon injuries, Cruz was never again able to reach the international top level. In 1993, he tried to make a comeback and started over 1500 m at various Grand Prix races in Europe but failed to make a major impact. His last victory of significance came in the 1500 meters at the 1995 Pan American Games
1995 Pan American Games
The 12th Pan American Games were held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, from March 12 to March 26, 1995. After 44 years, this was the Pan American Games first return to the country that hosted the first Games, in 1951.-Overview:...
.
Cruz was a torchbearer and lit the flame cauldron at the 2007 Pan American Games
2007 Pan American Games
The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to July 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic Committees competed in 332 events in 34 sports and in...
in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, on July 13, 2007.