Manuel Plaza

Regarded as one of the best Chilean athletes of all time Manuel Plaza holds the honour of winning the first medal for his country at the Olympic Games. For more than a decade in the interwar period Plaza was unbeatable in South America, with him winning more than a dozen long-distance races at the South American Championships in Athletics.

Plaza was the flagbearer for Chile at the Opening Ceremony at both the 1924 Paris and 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. He ran in the marathon at each Games, finishing in sixth place in Paris, before winning silver in Amsterdam. With his second-place finish he became the first Chilean to win a medal at the Olympics. The nation had to wait until the 1952 Helsinki Games to win another medal when their equestrian riders won silver in the team competition. Plaza finished just 26 seconds behind Bouguera El Ouafi of France, who won gold. For many years after the race a myth was circulated about Plaza getting lost on the course just before the finish line, costing him valuable time and the gold medal. No evidence was presented from either the race officials or the press covering the race at the time, and it was later revealed that Plaza had started the rumour himself.

In 1920 Plaza won his first medals at the South American Championships in Athletics with a silver in the 10,000 metres and a bronze in the 5,000 metres. He then dominated the long-distance races at the next three editions of the championships (1924, 1926, and 1927), winning the 3,000 metres, 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres, and the cross-country race at each one. Plaza competed in his final South American Championships in 1933, winning gold in the 20 miles and cross-country races.

Personal Best: Mar – 2-33:23 (1928).