Jaime Aparicio

Jaime Aparicio specialized in the 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles events, and it was in these that he represented Colombia at the 1948 London Olympics, where he was eliminated in the first round of both competitions. He had more success the two years later at the Central American and Caribbean Games, where he won the 400 metres hurdles, a feat that he repeated at the 1951 Pan American Games. From 1951 through 1953, he studied architecture in the United States, which left him with little time to train, and thus he missed the 1952 Helsinki Games.

Aparicio resumed athletics upon his return to Colombia and defended his gold medal at the 1954 Central American and Caribbean Games, where he also took silver in the 200 metres. He earned the same medals at the 1954 and 1956 South American Championships and, at the 1955 Pan American Games, won silver in the 400 metres hurdles, behind American Josh Culbreath. He then made his second appearance at the Olympics in 1956, but was eliminated in the first round of the 400 metres, the 400 metres hurdles, and the 4x400 metres relay, in the latter alongside Carlos Sierra, Guillermo Zapata, and Alfonso Muñoz.

At the 1958 South American Championships, Aparicio won silver in the 400 metres hurdles, behind Ulisses dos Santos of Brazil. After that, he reduced his competitive schedule, although he did light the torch at the 1961 Bolivarian Games. He then became involved in the administration of sport, and helped run the 1971 Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia.

Personal Bests: 400 – 47.6 (1955); 400H – 51.8 (1955).