Simeon Galvez Toribio (September 3, 1905 – June 5, 1969) was a Filipino high jumper and politician.

Early life and education

Toribio studied at

Silliman University Silliman University (also referred to as Silliman or SU) is a private, Protestant, and research university located in Dumaguete City, Philippines. Established in 1901 as Silliman Institute by the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, it is ...

Athletics career

He competed at the 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics and won a bronze medal in 1932. In 1928, he cleared the same height as the silver and bronze medalists Benjamin Hedges and Claude Ménard, but lost the jump-off and placed fourth. Toribio served as the flag bearer for the Philippines at the 1936 Games, where he finished 12th.Ramon J. Farolan (September 8, 2008) "War-torn Afghanistan wins Olympic bronze". ''Philippine Daily Inquirer''. According to author Jorge Afable, Toribio could have won the gold medal, if not only for the "call of nature". It was a grueling four-hour competition to jump over the bar raised at six feet and six inches high. Toribio, who once made the jump, failed to overcome it the second time because he was distressed by call of nature.

Recognition

Toribio was the recipient of the 1930

Helms World Trophy The Helms Athletic Foundation, founded in 1936, was a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to the promotion of athletics and sportsmanship. Paul H. Helms was the organization's founder and benefactor, funding the foundation via his ownersh ...

for being Asia's greatest athlete, the only Filipino to be awarded this honor. Also in 1930, he was awarded the title "Asia’s Greatest Athlete".

Post-athletics career

During World War II, Toribio joined the underground resistance and narrowly escaped arrest by Japanese forces due to a chance encounter involving a souvenir from a previous competition in Japan https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/74549?utm_source=chatgpt.com Toribio later became a civil engineer. In 1941, he was elected to the

House of Representatives of the Philippines The House of Representatives (; '','' thus commonly referred to as ''Kamara'') is the lower house of Congress of the Philippines, Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the Senate of the Philippines as the upper house. The ...

, representing the Second District of Bohol, and served until 1953.

Later life and death

He settled in Carmen, Bohol and died there in 1969. His descendants are continuing his legacy in Public Service.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Toribio, Simeon 1905 births 1969 deaths Athletes (track and field) at the 1928 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1932 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Zamboanga City Sportspeople from Bohol Boholano people Filipino male high jumpers Filipino civil engineers Olympic track and field athletes for the Philippines Olympic bronze medalists for the Philippines Silliman University alumni Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Bohol National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines) players Filipino sportsperson-politicians Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field) Members of the National Assembly of the Philippines Philippine Sports Hall of Fame inductees 20th-century Filipino sportsmen