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11 Of The Greatest Latino Athletes In Olympic History

Latinos have been taking the gold since 1900.
Carolina Moreno
By 

Reporter, HuffPost

Olympic gods among men.
Olympic gods among men.
STAFF via Getty Images

The Olympics have celebrated both physical ability and the strength of the human spirit for 120 years, and Latinos athletes have certainly left their mark along the way.

It all started with a 17-year-old Cuban fencer at the 1900 Paris Olympics, the first Latin American to ever win a medal at the international event. And since then, Latino and Latina athletes have repeatedly defied odds and expectations in everything from swimming to boxing. They’ve managed to not only win the gold but also our hearts.

There are many outstanding Latino athletes in Olympic history, but a select group have proven to have both the skill and spirit to make history in their sport. Meet just 11 of the greatest Latino athletes in Olympic history, below:

Ramón "El Nunca Segundo" Fonst Segundo, Cuba
Cuban Heritage Collection/ University of Miami Libraries
At the 1900 Paris Olympics, 17-year-old Fonst won the gold medal in Fencing (épée individual men) and became the first ever Latin-American to win a medal at the games. The Cuban athlete went on to win three more gold medals at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics.
Alberto "El Caballo" Juantorena, Cuba
YouTube
At the 1976 Montréal Olympics, with his renowned nine-yard stride, Juantorena became the first runner to win the gold in both the 400 meter and 800 meter races during the same Olympic Games. This was considered an especially impressive feat given that one race is a sprint while the other is a tactical middle-distance race. If that wasn't enough, Juantorena was also the first runner from a non-English-speaking country to win either race.
Adhemar Ferreira da Silva, Brazil
Getty
Da Silva won the gold in the triple jump event at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. As if that wasn't enough, he also set two world records in less than two hours. Da Silva took the gold again for the triple jump at 1956 Olympics in Melbourne.
Tracee Talavera, USA
Tracee Talavera was the first Latina to make the U.S Women's Gymnastics Team. The Mexican-American athlete participated in the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, that year Team USA took home the silver medal.
Jefferson Pérez, Ecuador
Pérez won Ecuador's first and only gold medal to date at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games for the men's 20 km walk. He also took home to the silver medal in the event during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Outside of the Olympics, he became the first man to win three consecutive world titles for the 20 km race in 2007.
Teófilo Stevenson, Cuba
Considered by many to have been the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time -- something the athlete never tried to prove due Cuba's rules against its athletes competing professionally -- Teófilo Stevenson became the first fighter to win three Olympic gold medals in one weight class in 1980.

For years American promoters allegedly offered Stevenson millions to fight against legends like Muhammed Ali. The Cuban repeatedly declined the offers, famously stating: “What is a million dollars against eight million Cubans who love me?” In June 2012, the boxer passed away at the age of 60.
Félix Savón Fabré, Cuba
Frequently compared to his countryman Teófilo Stevenson, Savón became the second boxer to win three Olympic gold medals (1992, 1996, 2000). He might have won a fourth medal if Cuba had not boycotted the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. As a Cuban native, the athlete was likewise unable to compete professionally with U.S. boxing giants.
Torben "Turbine" Grael, Brazil
Two gold, one silver, and two bronze made Grael the sailor with the most Olympic medals until 2012. His first gold was achieved at the 1996 Atlanta Games, the second in Athens during the 2004 games.
Dara Torres, USA
AP
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Torres became the oldest swimmer to ever compete. The swimmer has 12 medals spread throughout five Olympic games beginning in 1984, making hers one of the longest and most successful swimming careers in the world.
Pablo Morales, "The Comeback Kid," USA
YouTube
The son of Cuban immigrants, Morales made history at the 1984 Olympic Trials by setting the world record in the 100 meters butterfly event. At the Los Angeles Olympic games, he and his teammates won the gold in the 4 x 100 meters medley relay but individually Morales fell short of a gold medal, winning two silver medals instead. He tried once more to get the gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, but despite being a favorite he failed to qualify. Morales retired soon after.

That is until his spectacular comeback at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, when Morales came out of retirement to give the gold another shot. That year he won two gold medals, and at 28-years-old he became the oldest athlete to take the gold in the 100m butterfly men event.
Oscar De La Hoya, USA
Getty
The "Golden Boy" may only have one Olympic medal, but the Mexican-American fighter won the gold at the 1992 Barcelona Games to fulfill a promise he had made to his mother, who died of cancer. Once he turned professional, De La Hoya won ten world titles in six weight classes.

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