Rolando Cruz (born September 17, 1939, in

Salinas, Puerto Rico Salinas (, ) is a Salinas barrio-pueblo, town and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Aibonito, Puerto Rico, Aibonito and Cayey, Puerto Rico, Caye ...

) is a former

pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a #bar, bar. Pole jumping was already practiced by the ...

er from

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

. He trained under

Jimmy Curran James Michael Curran (January 7, 1880 – February 7, 1963) was an athletics coach who trained and coached five Olympics, Olympic gold medalists. From 1900-1902, he fought with the Highland Light Infantry in the Second Boer War, serving much of t ...

Mercersburg Academy Mercersburg Academy (formerly Marshall College and Mercersburg College) is an independent college-preparatory boarding and day high school in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Founded in 1893, the school enrolls approximately 4 ...

and Jim 'Jumbo' Elliott at

Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Saint Thom ...

. He competed for his native country in three consecutive

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...

, starting in 1956 and was the flag bearer for Puerto Rico in the 1964 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. He is a three-time gold medalist at the

Central American and Caribbean Games The Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC or CACGs) are a multi-sport regional championship event, held quadrennial (once every four years), typically in the middle (even) year between Summer Olympics. The games are for 32 countries and ...

: 1959, 1962 and 1966. Cruz later became a lawyer and president of a life insurance company. From 1977 to 1981 he served as Commissioner Of Insurance of Puerto Rico.

References

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External links

* * * 1939 births Living people People from Salinas, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican male pole vaulters Olympic track and field athletes for Puerto Rico Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics Pan American Games bronze medalists for Puerto Rico Pan American Games track and field athletes for Puerto Rico Pan American Games bronze medalists in athletics (track and field) Athletes (track and field) at the 1959 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1959 Pan American Games Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Puerto Rico Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in athletics Competitors at the 1959 Central American and Caribbean Games Competitors at the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games Competitors at the 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games 20th-century American sportsmen {{PuertoRico-athletics-bio-stub