| Did You Know... | | | | World's Olympic teams (Tanzania -one of the |
| | | | Africa`s poorest countries- sent 41 |
| Like Un Yong Kim (South Korea), Sheik Fahad | | | | sportspersons). For political reasons, |
| Al-Sabah (Kuwait) and Joao Havelange | | | | Bolivia also did not participate in the 1983 |
| (Brazil), José Gamarra Zorrilla was one of | | | | Pan American Games in Caracas (Venezuela). |
| the best Olympic leaders in the Third World. | | | | For the first time since 1971, athletes from |
| He played a major role in promoting the | | | | Bolivia did not took part in a Pan American. |
| values of sports in Bolivia and Latin | | | | Unlike athletes from Haiti, Nicaragua, Chad |
| America. José dedicated his life to fight | | | | and Sierra Leone ,Bolivian athletes had |
| against indifference to sports and the | | | | problems to go to Olympics Games in 1984. |
| deplorable condition of the athletes in | | | | |
| Bolivia. His country is one of the Third | | | | Johnny Perez took part in the 1978 South |
| World`s poorest countries. Furthermore, | | | | American Games in La Paz, Bolivia, winning |
| Bolivia has had a record 194 attempted coups. | | | | three gold medals in athletics, in 1,500m, |
| However, under his leadership, several | | | | 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase. |
| international congress and events were | | | | |
| organized in La Paz, Cochabamba, Oruro and | | | | The La Paz Olympic Stadium is one of the most |
| Santa Cruz de la Sierra. José was | | | | modern in Latin America and the Caribbean. |
| president of the Organizing Committee of the | | | | Among the athletes who have competed in the |
| La Paz Bolivarian Games (1977) and for the | | | | Olympic Stadium are Romario de Souza Faria |
| South American Games in Bolivia (1978). As | | | | (soccer/ Brazil), Joao Carlos de Oliveira |
| president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee | | | | (athletics /Brazil), José Luis Chilavert |
| (1970-1982), he led Bolivia to the best | | | | (soccer /Paraguay), Tito Stenier (athletics |
| result ever in its history: 106 medals in the | | | | Argentina), Edith Noeding (track and field/ |
| South American Games. He headed the Bolivian | | | | Peru) and Carlos Caetano Bledron Verri |
| delegation at the Summer Olympics in Munich, | | | | (soccer/ Brazil). |
| West Germany. Many South Americans consider | | | | |
| José Gamarra Zorrilla as the greatest | | | | Giovanna Morejon Irusta finished 16th in the |
| South American Olympic leader of the 20th | | | | 20-kilometer walk at the 2003 World Athletics |
| century. | | | | Championships in Paris, France. |
| | | | |
| This country had great sportspersons: Mario | | | | Katherine Moreno was one of the youngest |
| Martinez (tennis), Alan Saunders (nordic | | | | swimmers at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. |
| skiing), Milton Coimbra (football), Maria | | | | |
| Ortuno (basketball), Giovanna Morejon Irusta | | | | The Bolivian team won the silver medal at the |
| (athletics), Ramiro Benavides (tennis), | | | | South American Basketball Championship and |
| Anthony Iglesias (diving), Johnny Pérez | | | | qualified for the World Women's Basketball |
| (athletics), Scott Sanchez Saunders (nordic | | | | Championship in 1978 in Seoul (South Korea). |
| skiing), Oswaldo Morejon (track and field), | | | | Bolivia qualified for a world tournament for |
| William Arencibia (taekwondo), Erwin | | | | the first time.The heroines were: Janeth |
| Sánchez (football), Ricardo Ramos (nordic | | | | Blanco Saavedra, Betty Saavedra Zaconeta, |
| skiing), Guadalupe Yañez (basketball), | | | | Daysy Chucatini Torrico, Liceo Rojas Arteaga, |
| Betty Saavedra (basketball), Juan Rodrigo | | | | Norma Zambrano Siles, Elizabeth Navia |
| Camacho (athletics), Marco Etcheverry | | | | Ledesma, Guadalupe Yañez Heredia, Tania |
| (football), Katherine Moreno (swimming), | | | | Claros Vargas, Antonieta Gudmanson Torres, |
| Roberto Nielsen Reyes (equestrian) and Billy | | | | Judith Quiñones Miranda and Vania Claros |
| Farwing Aranoa (nordic skiing). | | | | de Justinino. |
| | | | |
| Bolivia sent 7 sportspeople to the Winter | | | | Bolivia sent only one athlete (Fernando |
| Olympic Games in 1988. The South American | | | | Inchauste Montalvo/ kayak) to the Summer |
| skiers were Manuel Aramayo, Guillermo Avila | | | | Olympics in 1960. |
| Paz, Jaime Bascon, Jorge Bejarano, Enrique | | | | |
| Montaño, Pedro Tichaver and Luis Vizcarra. | | | | From 1971 to 1979, 500 Bolivian athletes |
| | | | participated in international tournaments and |
| Julia Iriarte is the greatest Bolivian | | | | competitions. |
| athlete of all time. Why? She won 5 gold and | | | | |
| 3 silver medals at the 1947 Bolivarian Games | | | | Like Hortencia Maria de Fatima Marcari |
| in Lima, Peru. She became the star of the | | | | (Brazil) and Carol Turney (Canada), Guadalupe |
| Games. Her gold medals were in the 80m | | | | Yañez was one of the best basketball |
| hurdles, discus throw, shot put, long jump | | | | players in the 1979 Pan American Games in San |
| and high jump. Her homecoming was a huge | | | | Juan de Puerto Rico. |
| success . After she was invited by president | | | | |
| Enrrique Hertzog to the Government Palace | | | | Erwin Sanchez was one of the most important |
| (Palacio Quemado). She also won five gold | | | | football players in Bolivia in the 1990s. |
| medals in the South American Athletics | | | | |
| Championships in La Paz in 1948. Under her | | | | From 1975 to 1977, more than 25 foreign |
| coach, George Voeg , she broke several | | | | coaches helped to train Bolivian sportspeople |
| national records during the 1940s. | | | | in preparation for the international |
| Unfortunately, she did not compete at the | | | | competitions (Olympic Games, Bolivarian |
| 1948 Olympic Games in Helsinki (Finland). She | | | | Games, Pan American Games and South American |
| was born in Cochabamba, Bolivia on December | | | | Games). The coaches were: Bornj Wangemann |
| 20, 1919 to Placido Iriarte and Clara | | | | (athletics/ West Germany), Mike Lucero |
| Velasco. | | | | (basketball/ USA), Paul Gonzalez (basketball/ |
| | | | USA), Stanislav Golubkov (boxing/ USSR), |
| Bolivia participated at the 1979 Spartakiade | | | | Heriberto Diaz (cycling/ Mexico), Pedro |
| of the Nations of the Union of Soviet | | | | Escobar (equestrian / Chile), Stanislav Spyra |
| Socialist Republics (USSR). | | | | (fencing/ Poland), Walter Madel (fencing/ |
| | | | West Germany), Eduardo Virba (football/ West |
| From 1980 to 1984, the Bolivian government | | | | Germany), Dale Cutler (gymnastics/ USA), |
| destroyed the sport. The South American | | | | Donald Howorth (gymnastics/ USA), Pedro |
| athletes were not allowed to compete in the | | | | Ortega (gymnastics/ Mexico), Jasuhido |
| Olympics in 1980. Many sportspeople who had | | | | Takasuka (judo/ Japan), Benigno Marquez |
| trained for years for the Games felt great | | | | (wrestling/ Venezuela), Karol Czarkoswki |
| frustration. Among these athletes were: | | | | (weightlifting/ Poland), Wu Yu Yung (swimming |
| Johnny Pérez (track and field), Luis Dario | | | | Taiwan), Yadwiga Czarkoswka (swimming/ |
| Vasquez (fencing), Mary Rojas (athletics), | | | | Poland), Adolfo Coronado (swimming/ Ecuador), |
| Walter Quiroga (shooting), Linda Spents | | | | Francis Conway (shooting/ USA), Nicolay |
| (track and field), Isidro Guarachi (boxing), | | | | Durnev (shooting/ USSR), Cselaw Gajdamovicz |
| Walter Quispe (boxing), Edgar Cueto | | | | (volleyball/ Poland), Tien Heing Hisch |
| (cycling), Jean Young Kim Song (judo) and | | | | (volleyball/ China), Chiu Chiao Chi |
| Antonieta Arizaga (swimming). Ironically, the | | | | (volleyball/ Taiwan) and Lin Chou Nou |
| USSR -host Olympic nation- subsidized Third | | | | (volleyball/ China). |