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Sports in Puerto Rico
*** Shopping-Tip: Sports in Puerto Rico
Sports in
Puerto Rico can be traced from the ceremonial competitions amongst the Pre-Columbian Native Americans of the Arawak also knowned as
Taíno tribes which inhabited the island to the modern era in which sports activities consist of an organized physical activity or skill carried out with a recreational purpose for competition.
Brief History of Sports in Puerto Rico
Pre-Columbian Era
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'''Aerial view of the "Big Plaza" ballpark in the Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center'''
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'''Game of Batey'''
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The Tainos who inhabited Puerto Rico before the arrival of
Christopher Columbus in
1492, played a series of games which were both ceremonial and diversional, such as races, contests involving body strength and fishing. However, the two most important of these sports were the simulated warrior fights (similar to the gladiators) and ball playing. The ball game was played in a field, which they called "Batey", situated in the middle of the village. The fields were either shaped like a triangle or like a "U". The ball was made of vegetable leafs, which gave it flexibility. Two teams played against each other. The objective of the game was to keep the ball in constant motion. The players were allowed to use their heads, elbows, shoulders and knees. The team would lose a point, if for any reason the ball stopped moving. The score was kept with a mark on the ground and the game would end after the losing team received a certain amount of points. The winners were treated like heros and the losers were sacrificed. The game had changed by the time the first Spanish settlers arrived. According to Fray
Bartolome de las Casas the game was played in the following manner: "One team served the ball and the other team returned it, using anything but the hands. If the ball arrived at shoulder height, it was returned like lightning. When it came in near the ground, the player rapidly hit the ground, striking the ball with his buttocks. Play continued from side to side until an error was made." In
1975,
archaeologists from the Guaynia Society of Archeology and History at the Catholic University of Puerto Rico, members of the Archeological Society of the Southwest announced the discovery of the ruins of a "Batey" in an area called Tibes, on the outskirts of the city of
Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce. A total of 9 ball fields were discovered under thick forest overgrowth dating back to
Anno Domini AD 25 in the area which is now known as "
Centro Ceremonial Indigena de Tibes" (The Tibes Indigenoius Ceremonial Center). The site is now a tourist attraction and is open to the public. Artifacts found on the site are on display and can be seen in a museum on the site and in the Ponce Museum of Art.{{inote| ref: http://ponce.inter.edu/tibes/ingles/historia.html}}
Spanish Colonization
The Tainos suffered greatly during the
Spanish colonization of the Americas Spanish colonization of Puerto Rico in the 15th century. Many died from the cruel treatment and disease inflicted upon them and their culture was destroyed. The first Spaniards to inhabit the island were soldiers (Conquistadores), later they were followed by farmers, miners and their families. Team sports were virtually unheard of however, there were other types of competitions and sports in which they participated. The most common sports were
horse racing,
cockfighting and
dominoes. The first horse track was built in San Juan in
1887. One of the most popular sports was "Boliche". The men would gather in the town plaza and roll a small ball made of wood with the objective of knocking down pins. "Boliche" was similar to
Bowling. Another popular sport was
Bullfighting, which was limited to the larger cities of
Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce and
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan.
Modern Era
'''Baseball'''
During the latter part of the 19th century Puerto Rico was to witness the introduction of organized team sports. The game of
baseball was first introduced to the island by a group of Puerto Ricans and Cubans who had learned the game in the
United States. At first the sport was not well received by the local press and general public, it was looked upon as a silly game. The first two baseball clubs were founded in
1897. They were the Almendares Baseball Club, owned by Francisco Alamo Armas and the Borinquen Baseball Club owned by Santos Filippi.
According to the daily newspaper "El Pais", on
January 11,
1898, the first organized baseball game was played in Puerto Rico at the old velodrome which was located at the Pda.15 in Santurce, San Juan. The Borinquen team beat the Almendares with a score of 3 to 0. The first game to go a complete nine innings was played on
January 30, 1898 and the Borinquen once again beat the Almendares with a score of 9 to 3.
Puerto Rico became an American territory when the United States defeated Spain in the
Spanish-American War. The American soldiers stationed in Puerto Rico were permitted to organize a baseball club to play against the local clubs as diversional outlet. On
November 4,
1900 the Almendares Baseball Club composed of Puerto Ricans and Cubans beat the American Baseball Club of the Second Regiment of Infantry with a score of 32 to 18.
'''Basketball and Boxing'''
The Military government banned cockfighting and bullfighting from the island but, introduced the sport of
boxing and a "new" sport called basketball. Both boxing and basketball were used by the soldiers as part of their physical training. Boxing competitions amongst the soldiers were open to the public. The first boxing match in Puerto Rico was held on
January 15,
1899. When the soldiers played basketball, they would use a plain straw basket which was cut open at both ends and place it on the highest end of a pole. For a ball, they used a football and the game was played without any established set of rules.
In
1913, the
YMCA of Puerto Rico oraganized the first game played using the official rules of basketball and in
1916, the YMCA organized the first basketball tournament. Teams formed in the other YMCA's in the island participated in the tournament. The first basketball organization in Puerto Rico was the San Juan Basketball League. Rio Piedras and
Bayamon, Puerto Rico Bayamon later followed and formed their own leagues.
'''Olympics'''
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'''Flag of Puerto Rico'''
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'''Puerto Rican Olympic Committee Logo'''
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'''German Rieckehoff Alberque Olympico Logo'''
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Puerto Rico participates in the Olympics as an independent nation and therefore Puerto Rican athletes have the option of either representing Puerto Rico or the United States in the games. Some, such as Gigi Fernandez in tennis, have won gold medals for the U.S.
The
1948 Olympics celebrated in
London, was a historical one for Puerto Rico because it was the first time that the island would participate as a nation in an international sporting event. The islands delegation consisted of only three members. In their first participation, the Puerto Ricans had carried the
United States U.S. flag into the games. The United States protested, claiming that two nations could not use the same flag at the same time. The decree of
Commonwealth on
July 25,
1952 would give the Puerto Rican delegation a flag of their own.
In
1980, the
United States boycotted the
Olympic Games celebrated in
Moscow, Russia.
German Rieckehoff, who was then the president of the Puerto Rican Olympic Committee, was against the boycott because he believed that politics should not get involved with sporting events. He was, therefore, denied economic support from the local government. Rieckehoff did however, manage to send one athlete to represent Puerto Rico in
boxing,
Alberto Mercado, who became the only
United States American citizen to participate in the 1980 Olympics.
In
1982, the
Government of Puerto Rico, headed by then governor
Carlos Romero Barcelo, withheld economic support from the athletic delegation headed to
Cuba, where the Central American and Caribbean Games were going to be held. The Puerto Rican Olympic Committee, under the leadership of Rieckehoff, had to appeal directly to the people for donations and were able to send the delegation. The Puerto Rican Olympic Committee is also the organization in charge of selecting the Puerto Rican athletes which represent the island in the
Pan American Games and the Central American and Caribbeann Games.
Below is a list and a brief summary of some of the most common sports practiced in Puerto Rico.
----
American football (NFL)
Although not a popular sport in Puerto Rico, American football nonetheless is played in the streets of the
Caribbean island occasionally.
Image:Ron_Rivera.JPG 100px|right|thumb|'''Ron Rivera'''
Ron Rivera became the first Puerto Rican to play in the
National Football League NFL when he played for the
Chicago Bears in the
1980s. In
1986, Rivera became the first Puerto Rican to win a
Super Bowl championship ring. Other Puerto Ricans who have played in the NFL are
O.J. Santiago of the
Atlanta Falcons,
Marco Rivera who now plays for the
Dallas Cowboys and who in
2002 became the first Puerto Rican to play in the
Pro Bowl as a member of the
Green Bay Packers (the first of three appearances) and
Glenn Martinez who in
2005 played for the
Detroit Lions.
Baseball
Image:RobertoClemente.jpg thumb|130px|'''Roberto Clemente'''
Puerto Rico has a winter baseball league that operates since the early
20th century. Puerto Rico is a participant of the
Caribbean World Series, and has over 100
Major League Baseball players who are currently active, in addition to the hundreds others who have participated in the past. These facts combine to make baseball one of the most popular sports in the island.
Some of the most famous baseball players from Puerto Rico include: Hall of Famers
Roberto Clemente and
Orlando Cepeda, plus
Roberto Alomar,
Jose Cheo Cruz Jose "Cheo" Cruz,
Juan Gonzalez,
Edgar Martinez,
Ivan Rodriguez,
Victor Pellot,
Bernie Williams, and others.
'''Chronological order of major events'''
Image:Hiram Bithorn.JPG 150px|right|thumb|'''Hiram Bithorn'''
* On
January 11 1898 in baseball 1898 the first organized baseball game is played in Puerto Rico between the Borinquen team and the Almendares team. The Borinquen won 3 to 0.
* In
1928 in baseball 1928,
Emilio Navarro Emilio "Millito" Navarro of the
Cuban Stars became the first Puerto Rican to play in the
Negro league baseball Negro Leagues
* In
1942 in baseball 1942,
Hiram Bithorn of the
Chicago Cubs became the first Puerto Rican to play in the major leagues.
* In
1949 in baseball 1949,
Luis Olmo of the
Los Angeles Dodgers Brooklyn Dodgers became the first Puerto Rican to play in a
1949 World Series World Series game and the first one to hit a
home run and to get three
hit (baseball) hits, in the same game.
Image:LuisRodriguezOlmo.jpg right|thumb|100px| '''Luis Olmo'''
* In
1951 in baseball 1951, Puerto Rico won its first and only
World Cup of Baseball.
* In
1954 in baseball 1954,
Ruben Gomez Colon Ruben Gomez of the
San Francisco Giants New York Giants became the first Puerto Rican to
pitcher pitch in a World Series game and the first one to receive a World Series championship ring.
* In
1971 in baseball 1971,
Roberto Clemente of the
Pittsburgh Pirates became the first hispanic to reach 3,000 hits and the first Puerto Rican to be enshrined in the
Baseball Hall of Fame.
* In
1984 in baseball 1984,
Willie Hernandez of the
Detroit Tigers became the first Puerto Rican to win both the AL
Cy Young Award and the AL
MLB Most Valuable Player Award MVP Award.
* In
1992 in baseball 1992,
Jose Cruz Jose "Cheo" Cruz was honored by the
Houston Astros when his #25 was retired by the team.
* In
1999 in baseball 1999,
Orlando Cepeda Orlando "Peruchin" Cepeda became the second Puerto Rican enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
* In
2001 in baseball 2001, Major League Baseball history was made when Opening Day was in
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium with a game between the
Texas Rangers (baseball) Texas Rangers and the
Toronto Blue Jays.
* In
2003 in baseball 2003, the
Montreal Expos played 22 home games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.
Basketball
Image:Arroyo 355 040815.jpg Dream Team (basketball) thumb|center|353px|'''Carlos Arroyo showing the letters of the Puerto Rico uniform seconds before defeating the U.S. [[Dream Team (basketball)|Dream Team on
August 15 at the
2004 Summer Olympics in
Athens,
Greece.'''.html" title="Meaning of Dream Team.html" title="Meaning of thumb|center|353px|'''Carlos Arroyo showing the letters of the Puerto Rico uniform seconds before defeating the U.S. [[Dream Team (basketball)|Dream Team">thumb|center|353px|'''Carlos Arroyo showing the letters of the Puerto Rico uniform seconds before defeating the U.S. [[Dream Team (basketball)|Dream Team on
August 15 at the
2004 Summer Olympics in
Athens,
Greece.'''">Dream Team.html" title="Meaning of thumb|center|353px|'''Carlos Arroyo showing the letters of the Puerto Rico uniform seconds before defeating the U.S. [[Dream Team (basketball)|Dream Team">thumb|center|353px|'''Carlos Arroyo showing the letters of the Puerto Rico uniform seconds before defeating the U.S. [[Dream Team (basketball)|Dream Team on
August 15 at the
2004 Summer Olympics in
Athens,
Greece.'''
Basketball is also a very popular sport in Puerto Rico, thanks in part to the
National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico Liga de Baloncesto Superior Nacional, which has been around since the
1930s. During the early
1980s, with many games showen on
television, the sport's popularity increased.
Street basketball is popular among Puerto Rico's youth.
Puerto Rican national basketball team Puerto Rico's national basketball team has reached the Olympic Games multiple times, including the
Athens, Greece Athens games in
2004, where they became the first team to defeat the U.S.
Dream Team (basketball) Dream Team during Olympic competition. Puerto Rico's national team has won gold medals in other international competitions.
Famous Puerto Rican Basketball players include:
Carlos Arroyo,
Larry Ayuso,
Angelo Cruz,
Raymond Dalmau,
Raul Feliciano,
Alfred Lee Alfred "Butch" Lee,
Mario Morales,
Jerome Mincy,
Jose Ortiz,
Ramon Ramos,
Ramon Rivas,
Ruben Rodriguez,
Daniel Santiago, and
Anita Ortega.
Alfred Lee Alfred "Butch" Lee, a member of the 1976 Olympic basketball team, became the first Puerto Rican in the
National Basketball Association NBA when in 1978 he was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks. Jose Ortiz was signed by the
Utah Jazz in
1988. Rivas followed him two weeks later, being signed by the
Boston Celtics. Ramos was signed by the
Portland Trail Blazers, but he never played because of a life changing accident. Arroyo now plays for the
Orlando Magic, and Santiago used to play for the
Phoenix Suns and then with the
Milwaukee Bucks.
There is also a women's professional league, which is affiliated to the BSN.
Bobsled
Puerto Rico had a Bobsled team in the
1992,
1994 and
1998 Winter Olympics.
Boxing
Image:Venegas.JPG 100px|right|thumb|'''Juan Evangelista Venegas'''
Boxing has, for many years, disputed the top spot for the Puerto Rican fan's favorite sport with Baseball and Basketball. Puerto Rico's first world champion was
Sixto Escobar. In
1948, boxer
Juan Evangelista Venegas earned Puerto Rico's first Olympic medal, finishing his participation in
London with a bronze medal that year. Subsequently, Puerto Rico has earned five more medals in Olympic boxing, including a silver one by
Luis Ortiz (boxer) Luis Ortiz in
1984. That silver medal is the only silver medal ever won by any Puerto Rican at Olympic Games. Although he did not win a medal,
Alberto Mercado became, in
1980, the only American citizen to actually participate in the
Moscow, Russia Moscow Olympics.
Image:Wilfredo Gomez.autograph.jpg thumb|130px|right|'''Wilfredo Gómez'''
During the
1970s, with the coronation of such fighters as
International Boxing Hall of Fame Hall of Famers Wilfred Benitez and
Wilfredo Gomez as professional world champions, and the visits of such others as
Roberto Duran,
Muhammad Ali and
Alexis Arguello for fights, boxing in Puerto Rico enjoyed what many refer to as ''the golden era of boxing in Puerto Rico''.
image:wilfred.benitez.colour.arp.200pix.jpg frame|150px|'''Wilfred Benitez (right) defeating Roberto Duran'''
In
2001, Puerto Rican
John Ruiz made history by becoming boxing's first
Latin America Latin American world Heavyweight champion ever, after beating
World Boxing Association WBA world champ
Evander Holyfield.
Famous boxers from Puerto Rico include: Hall of Famers Wilfred Benitez, Wilfredo Gomez, Sixto Escobar,
Carlos Ortiz,
Edwin Rosario, and ''
Jose Torres Jose Chegui Torres'', plus ''
Hector Camacho Hector Macho Camacho'',
Alfredo Escalera,
Belinda Laracuente,
Pedro Montanez, John Ruiz,
Alex Sánchez (boxer) Alex Sanchez,
Samuel Serrano,
Félix Trinidad and
Ada Velez, who is the first Puerto Rican
Women's boxing world champion.
Cockfight Cockfights
Unlike in the
United States,
cockfighting is legal in Puerto Rico, and there are many places that draw large crowds to see bantams fighting every weekend. Across the world, Puerto Rico has been seen as the largest capital for the controversial sport, as it is incredibly popular and often televised as other sports are.
Equestrianism Equestrian
Image:Mark Watring.JPG right|130px|thumb|'''Mark Watring'''
The sport of Equestrianism has certain popularity in Puerto Rico, more so among members of higher classes. Puerto Rico frequently sends contestants to different international tournaments, such as the Olympics. On
August 16,
2003,
Mark Watringl from the town of Aguadilla, represented the
United States in the
Pan American Games celebrated in the
Dominican Republic. The he won the "Gold Medal" with a final total of 13.66 penalties compared to the 21.87 posted by
Mexico. When presented the Gold Medal, Mark unfurled and waved the
Puerto Rican Flag. This win secured a berth in the
2004 Olympic Games in
Athens, Greece. Mark represented Puerto Rico in the 2004 Olympics celebrated in
Athens, Greece.
Fencing
Fencing in Puerto Rico has become popular ever since
David "Kike" Bernier,
Victor Bernier and the brothers
Jonathan Peña Jonathan and
Marcos Peña have won medals in the
2003 Pan American Games celebrated in the
Dominican Republic.
Mirthescka Escanellas was also a popular Puerto Rican fencer. She participated at the
1996 Summer Olympics 1996 Summer Olympics in
Atlanta, Georgia, United States, among many other international events.
Golf
Image:Juan Rodríguez.JPG right|130px|thumb|'''Juan "Chi-Chi" Rodríguez'''
While golf is not very popular in Puerto Rico, there are many golf fields across the island.
The most famous Puerto Rican golfer is
Juan "Chi-Chi" Rodriguez who was inducted into the PGA World Golf Hall of Fame in
1992. Rodríguez used to put his hat over the hole whenever he made a
Golf glossary birdie or
Golf glossary eagle. After he heard that other golfers were complaining about his little act, he decided to try something new. Juan developed his signature "
toreador dance", where he would make believe that the birdie was a "bull" and that his
Golf club (equipment)#Types putter was a "sword" and he would terminate the "bull". Rodríguez represented Puerto Rico on 12
Golf World Cup World Cup teams. In
1986, he won the
Hispanic Recognition Award. In
1988, he was named
Replica's Hispanic Man of the Year.
Horse-racing Horse racing
Image:Angel Cordero.JPG right|130px|thumb|'''Angel Cordero Jr.'''
Horse Racing is a sport which was first introduced to Puerto Rico by the Conquitadores. Horse Races continue to be a very popular sport in Puerto Rico til this day. During the earlier part of the 20th. century, races were held at ''
El Comandante'' race track. Since
1972, ''
El Nuevo Comandante'', in
Canovanas, Puerto Rico Canovanas, has been the home of Puerto Rico's Sunday horse races, and of the annual ''
Clasico del Caribe'', a race that reunites important horses from many countries.
Famous jockeys include
J.A. Garcia and Hall of Famer
Angel Cordero Jr., Cordero is the sixth ranking
thoroughbred horse racing jockey of all time. He was the first and only Puerto Rican jockey to win all three of the "Triple Crown" races which consist of:The "Kentucky Derby", The "Preakness Stakes" and The "Belmont Stakes". Two of the most famous horses in Puerto Rican history were ''
El Platino'' and ''
Bold Forbes''.
Marathon (sport) Marathon
Image:World's Best 10K Race.gif right|frame|'''San Juan, Puerto Rico'''
Marathons have long been a part of Puerto Rico's sporting tradition. Many important marathons are run annually in the island, including the ''
Maraton de San Blas'' in
Coamo, Puerto Rico Coamo, long considered one of the most important marathon races in the world.
The '''World's Best 10K Race''' ('''WB10K'''), also known as ''Maratón Teodoro Moscoso'', is a
road race of 10
kilometers celebrated in
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan,
Puerto Rico every year. It is certified by the
Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS) and by the
International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF). The event was also the first race transmitted live through the Internet, with audio, video and results. WB10K was ranked among the 20 most competitive races in the world.
Famous marathon runners include:
Jorge Gonzalez Jorge "Peco" Gonzalez,
Hunga Maldonado.
Martial Arts
Image:RCamacho.jpg right|130px|thumb|'''Shihan Ruby Camacho'''
Martial arts sports, specially
Karate, have had a marked ascent in popularity in Puerto Rico since the
1970s, when
Bruce Lee and
Jackie Chan movies were very popular among Puerto Rico's youth.
Professional Wrestling
Image:Pedro Morales.jpg right|140px|thumb|'''Pedro Morales'''
Professional wrestling has enjoyed much popularity in Puerto Rico for a long time. Matches have been televised since the
1960s, and multiple, non televised matches are held each week across the island.
Capitol Sports Promotions is the main wrestling promoter in Puerto Rico.
Famous Puerto Rican wrestlers have included
Barrabas,
Carlitos Colon, ''
Los Invaders'',
Savio Vega, WWF* Hall of Famer
Pedro Morales, and ''
Los Super Medicos''. In addition, many
WWE (formerly WWF) stars, such as
Randy Savage, and
Ric Flair fought in Puerto Rico before.
Women's wrestling has been gaining popularity in Puerto Rico since the
1990s.
Sailing
Image:Enrique Fiqueroa.JPG right|150px|thumb|'''Enrique Figueroa and his Regatta on Feb. 2, 2004'''
Sailing as a sport has picked up in popularity in Puerto Rico since the middle
1990s, under the leadership of
Enrique Figueroa and his wife,
Carla Malatrasi. The pair have combined to win many international medals, and they competed at the
2000 Sydney, Australia Sydney Olympic Games. Figueroa also participated at the
1992 Barcelona Olympics. On
February 2,
2004, Figueroa and fellow teammate Jorge Hernandez, won the
Olympic Games Rolex Regatta. They were named champions by topping 29 entries in the tornado fleet. The
regatta winners had their sights set on the
2004 Olympic Games 2004 Olympics and Partalympic Games in
Athens, Greece. 503 sailors participated with a fleet of 323 boats representing 39 nations. Figueroa went to the 2004 Olympic Games and represented Puerto Rico.
Association football Soccer
:''Soccer refers to "Association Football", known in
Spanish language Spanish as "fútbol"''
Image:Magath2.jpg right|130px|thumb|'''Felix Magath'''
Puerto Rico has a
FIFA sponsored league. Association football hasn't typically enjoyed much popularity in Puerto Rico, and the FIFA threatened, in
2003, to withdraw its sponsorship of the Puerto Rican league. The Puerto Rican league's leader answered by announcing a league-wide plan that is aimed towards placing Puerto Rico in the
2010 Football World Cup World Cup. There are also the
Puerto Rico Islanders which play in the
USL First Division United Soccer Leagues First Division against U.S. and
Canada Canadian teams.
Felix Magath, whose mother is German, is the first Puerto Rican to play in the World Cup Soccer representing Germany in 1982 and 1986.
Softball
Image:Lisa Fernandez.JPG 130px|right|thumb|'''Lisa Fernandez'''
Women's softball has enjoyed certain popularity in Puerto Rico. The women's national softball team has won many international events and participated at many Olympics.
Lisa Fernandez has represented the United States as member of the U.S. Women's Olympic Softball Team, winning gold medals in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia and in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. She established a women's softball record when she struckout 25 members of the women's Australian olympic Softball Team.
Ivelisse Echevarria who in
2003 was inducted into the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame is also considered by many to be the greatest pitcher born in Puerto Rico. Ten Puerto Ricans have been inducted into the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame so far.
The ten Puerto Ricans in International Softball Federation Hall of Fame are: Juan Pachot, Carlos Velazquez Class of 1997; Ismael "Chavalillo" Delgado, Jorge Tanco,
Alejandro Cruz Alejandro "Junior" Cruz Class of 1993 and Ivelisse Echevarria, Betty Segarra, Clara Vazquez, Jose "Tuto" Agosto, Rafi Serrano Class of 2003.
Swimming Swimming (competitive)
Jesse Vassallo Jesus "Jesse" Vassallo, is considered by many to be the greatest swimmer to have been born in Puerto Rico. In 1997, he became the first and so far the only Puerto Rican to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Image:Jesse Vassallo.JPG 130px|right|thumb|'''Jesse Vassallo'''
In
1966, 17 year old Anita Lallande set a new record in the Central American and Caribbean Games celebrated in San Juan, when she won a total of 10 gold medals.
Fernando J. Canales was a 100 meter freestyle finalist in the 1978 Berlin World Championships, earning a 5th place. He was the "first" Puerto Rican swimmer to final in the World Championships. He earned 5 gold medals and 1 silver medal during the 1978 Central American Championships in
Medellin, Colombia. He became the first Puerto Rican to medal in the
Pan American Games by winning silver in the 100 meters free in 1979 (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and repeating that feat in 1983 (Caracas, Venezuela).
Maritza Correia, is the first black Puerto Rican woman in history to make the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team. She earned a silver medal swimming prelims of the 4oom free relay at the
2004 Olympic Games celebrated in
Athens, Greece.
Tennis
Image:Kristina_Brandi.JPG right|140px|thumb|'''Kristina Brandi'''
Tennis is not very popular as a fan sport in Puerto Rico, however, many Puerto Ricans practice it as a means of exercise. It should be noted, through, that the
1984 television match between
Martina Navratilova and
Gigi Fernandez was one of the most watched events of the year in Puerto Rican television. Gigi Fernandez was arguably Puerto Rico's most famous tennis player ever, having won championships at
Wimbledon championships Wimbledon and many other tournaments.
Kristina Brandi is the "first" Puerto Rican tennis player to win an
Olympic Games Olympic tennis match representing Puerto Rico. Brandi represented Puerto Rico in the
2004 Olympics, celebrated in
Athens, Greece, where she beat
Jelena Kostanic from
Croatia (7-5 and 6-1). Some of Brandi's career highlights are: High rank for singles 27 on
January 1,
2001; High rank for doubles on
June 19,
1995; Career titles for singles: 1; Career matches won: 79; Career matches lost: 99; Career prize money $845, 170.
Charlie Pasarell was another noted Puerto Rican Tennis player, having defeated
Pancho Gonzalez in one of Wimbledon's most famous games ever.
Rafael Jordan was a player that many considered had potential to become a men's professional tour champion, but he passed away after a tragic automobile accident during the middle
1990s.
Track and Field
Image:Angelita Lind.JPG 130px|right|thumb|'''Angelita Lind'''
Track and Field has been another sport of note in Puerto Rico. Most schools there base their field days only on track and field events. Many Puerto Rican runners, hurlers and throwers have participated at the Olympics.
Famous Puerto Rican track and fielders include:
Rebekah Colberg and
Angelita Lind.
Rebekah Colberg, also known as "The Mother of Women's Sports in Puerto Rico",
from
1932-
1946, for fourteen consecutive years was Puerto Rico's
tennis champion. In
1938, she won two
gold medals at the IV
Centroamerican and Caribbean Games, celebrated in
Panama, in the
discus and
jabaline events. In
1946, when the games were celebrated in
Mexico, she won a gold medal in
softball. While studying for her Masters Degree at Columbia University, she was in the university's
field hockey and
lacrosse championship teams. She was also a member of the undefeated women's
basketball team of the University of Mexico.
Angelita, known as "The Angel of Puerto Rico", has represented the island and participated in three
Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) and won two
gold medals, three
silver medals and one
bronze medal. She also participated in three
Pan American Games and in the
1984 Olympics celebrated in
Los Angeles, California.
Volleyball
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'''Raul Papaleo'''
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'''Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation Logo'''
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Long considered the dormant sport among major sports in Puerto Rico, Volleyball has enjoyed much popularity since the
1990s, both in its professional and beach volleyball versions. Puerto Rico's ''Liga Superior de Volleyball'' has thrived in recent years, both in the men's and women's tournaments.
In
1970, most of Puerto Rico's national women's volleyball team's members were killed when a plane that was flying them to
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan from the
Dominican Republic crashed shortly after take-off.
In
1996,
Laura Daniela Lloreda from Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, lead the Mexican national team to a
bronze medal at the
Norceca competition, held in the
Dominican Republic. In
1997, in front of her Puerto Rican fans, she led the team to a
silver medal. In
1998, when the tournament returned to the Dominican Republic, her team also took a silver medal. In
1999, the team finished in sixth place, but Lloreda was named the tournament's MVP.
Some of Puerto Rico's famous volleyball players are
Willie De Jesus and
Raul Papaleo.
See also
*
List of famous Puerto Ricans#Sports List of famous Puerto Ricans - Sports
*
List of Puerto Rico-related topics
*
World's Best 10K Race (Maratón Teodoro Moscoso)
*
International Wrestling Association
*
World Wrestling Council (apparently the name of
Capitol Sports Promotions nowadays)
*
One Wall Paddleball (most people here call it
Handball erroneously)
External Reference
-
Puerto Rican Bobsled
Category:History of Puerto Rico
Category:Sports in Puerto Rico
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Sports in Puerto Rico'''
|- align="center"
| colspan="6" |
Roberto Alomar .html">Sandy Alomar, Jr.
Sandy Alomar, Sr. |
Carlos Arroyo .html">National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico
BSN |
Wilfred Benitez.html">Ivan Calderón (baseball player)
Ivan Calderon (boxer) |
Hector Camacho .html">Roberto Clemente
Orlando Cepeda |
José Cruz .html">Carlos Delgado
Gigi Fernández |
Wilfredo Gómez .html">Jorge Gonzalez
Belinda Laracuente |
Mario Morales .html">Jose Ortiz
Victor Pellot |
Puerto Rican National Basketball Team .html">Puerto Rican Pop Culture
Edwin Rosario |
Ruben Rodriguez .html">Daniel Santiago
O.J. Santiago |
Sports in Puerto Rico
|}
Category:Puerto Rican culture
Category:Sports in American dependencies Puerto Rico
Category:Sports by country Puerto Rico
Category:Puerto Rico
fr:Catégorie:Sport à Porto Rico
fi:Luokka:Puerto Ricon urheilu
*** Shopping-Tip: Sports in Puerto Rico
