Peter Clentzos

A Greek pole vaulter who competed either as Peter Clentzos or Petros Klentzos, he competed at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, placing seventh. He was also entered in 1936 at Berlin but did not start. Clentzos was a Greek-American who was born in Oakland, California. He attended the University of Southern California where he played football and was on the track team. He was runner-up at the 1935 Balkan Games pole vault and held the Greek pole vault record from 1935-50.

Clentzos became a high school physical education teacher and coached several teams. In World War II he was stationed at the Santa Ana Army Air Base where he also taught phys ed. He was a lifelong member of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), founding the AHEPA’s Western Regional Golf Tournament as the organization’s west coast athletic director. Nicknamed the “Abba Zaba” golf tournament because Clentzos convinced Abba Zaba candy bars to sponsor the tournament, it was later renamed the Peter Clentzos Abba Zaba Western Regional Golf Tournament in his honor.

Personal Best: PV – 4.19 (1935).