Jaime Piqueras

An all-around field athlete, Jaime Piqueras was at his athletic peak in the years following World War II. His first major international medal came at the 1947-1948 Bolivarian Games, where he tied for silver with his brother Jorge in the pole vault, behind his compatriot Luis Ganoza. His next stop was the 1948 London Olympics, where he was eliminated in the qualifying round of the pole vault and entered in the javelin throw (but did not start). He had better luck at that year’s unofficial South American Championships in Athletics, where he was again second in the pole vault behind Ganoza. His best year was 1951, when he finally bested Ganoza by taking gold in the pole vault at the Bolivarian Games and came in second behind Bob Richards of the United States at the Pan American Games. Although he did not compete at the Helsinki Olympics, he did win silver in the pole vault at the 1952 South American Championships, behind Brazil’s Hélio da Silva.

Personal Best: PV – 4.04 (1951).