Osvaldo Lara

For a decade from the mid-1970s until the mid-1980s Osvaldo Lara was one of the best Cuban sprinters of his time. Lara had an impressive record, winning multiple medals at the Pan American Games, the Central American and Caribbean Games, and reaching two Olympic finals. At the Pan American Games he won bronze in 100 metres in 1983, after finishing sixth in 100 metres and seventh in 200 metres in 1979. He was also a member of two silver medal winning 4 × 100 metres relay teams, the first in 1979 (with Alejandro Casañas, Silvio Leonard, and the non-Olympian Juan Saborit), and the second in 1983 (with Silvio Leonard, and the non-Olympians José Luis Isalgué and Leandro Peñalver). At the Central American and Caribbean Games he won six medals, including gold in the 4 x 100 metres relay in 1982 and 1986.

Lara was named as an alternate on the Cuban team for the 4 x 100 metres relay at the 1976 Montréal Olympics. Cuba stuck with the same quartet for all their races, finishing fifth in the final, with Lara not running in the race. Four years later he was part of the quartet for the same race at the 1980 Moskva Olympics but the Cuban team did not finish in their heat. He had better success, however, in the 100 and 200 metres where he reached the final in both races, finishing fifth and eighth, respectively. Lara missed the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics due to the boycott but did compete at the Friendship Games in Moskva where he won gold in the 100 metres and silver in the 4 x 100 metres relay. He lived his later life in relative obscurity, forgotten by the island’s sports authorities, with him selling his medals to provide for his pension.

Personal Bests: 100 – 10.11 (1978); 200 – 20.1 (1978).