Luis Oliva
Encyclopedia
Luis Oliva was an Argentine
athlete who competed in two Olympic Games
in 1932
and 1936
. He was born in Córdoba, Argentina
and was discovered while fulfilling military service in Argentina. He earned gold medals at the 1931 and 1933 South American Champions in the 3000m event and a silver in the 1933 5000m event.
In Los Angeles
, he did not make the finals in the Men's 3000 steeplechase
event because, at that time, Argentina did not specialize its athletes in any particular athletic event. In Berlin
he did not finish in the Men's marathon
, giving up after 23 miles, despite having trained under Juan Carlos Zabala
, the winner of the 1932 competition
. During those games, however, he received a personal greeting from Adolf Hitler
and appeared in Leni Riefenstahl
's documentary of the games. He sought to compete in the 1940 Summer Olympics
before they were canceled, and later settled down as a physical education teacher in Argentina. He died on June 30, 2009, several days after his 101st birthday.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
athlete who competed in two Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in 1932
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
and 1936
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
. He was born in Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
and was discovered while fulfilling military service in Argentina. He earned gold medals at the 1931 and 1933 South American Champions in the 3000m event and a silver in the 1933 5000m event.
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...
, he did not make the finals in the Men's 3000 steeplechase
Athletics at the 1932 Summer Olympics - Men's 3000 metre steeplechase
The Men's 3000 Metres Steeplechase event at the 1932 Summer Olympics was actually 3460 metres, due to an error in lap counting - the runners did an extra lap of the track.-Round One:The fastest five athletes in each of the two heats advanced to the Final Round....
event because, at that time, Argentina did not specialize its athletes in any particular athletic event. In Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
he did not finish in the Men's marathon
Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics
At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, 29 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 6 for women. The program of events was unchanged from the previous Games. There was a total of 776 participants from 43 countries competing.-Medal table:...
, giving up after 23 miles, despite having trained under Juan Carlos Zabala
Juan Carlos Zabala
Juan Carlos Zabala -aka: "El Ñandú Criollo"- was an Argentine athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1932 Summer Olympics....
, the winner of the 1932 competition
Athletics at the 1932 Summer Olympics
At the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, 29 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 6 for women. It was the first time the 50 kilometre walk appeared in the men's athletics at the Games. This was only the second time women's events in athletics were included in the Olympic Games program...
. During those games, however, he received a personal greeting from Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and appeared in Leni Riefenstahl
Leni Riefenstahl
Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl was a German film director, actress and dancer widely noted for her aesthetics and innovations as a filmmaker. Her most famous film was Triumph des Willens , a propaganda film made at the 1934 Nuremberg congress of the Nazi Party...
's documentary of the games. He sought to compete in the 1940 Summer Olympics
1940 Summer Olympics
The anticipated 1940 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XII Olympiad and originally scheduled to be held from September 21 to October 6, 1940, in Tokyo, Japan, were cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II...
before they were canceled, and later settled down as a physical education teacher in Argentina. He died on June 30, 2009, several days after his 101st birthday.