Reynaldo Oliver

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameReynaldo Luis•Oliver Martínez
Used nameReynaldo•Oliver
Nick/petnamesPochi
Born28 March 1932 in Ponce, Puerto Rico (PUR)
Died19 January 2015 in San Juan, Puerto Rico (PUR)
Measurements178 cm / 75 kg
NOC Puerto Rico

Biography

Reynaldo Oliver started out as a decathlete, but eventually specialized in the javelin throw before switching to baseball. As a javelin thrower, Oliver won the 1954 Central American and Caribbean Games title, while earning a bronze in the pentathlon at those same Games. A year later, he earned a javelin bronze in the Pan American Games, becoming the first Puerto Rican to win a Pan Am medal in athletics. He also competed in two Olympic Games (1952 and 1956), but failed to get past the qualifying round.

Oliver then played professional baseball in Puerto Rico, Cuba and the United States. Usually a catcher or outfielder, he played Triple-A for 18 games in 1961, with the San Juan/Charleston Marlins, affiliated to the St. Louis Cardinals. After his active career, Oliver was active as a trainer in both athletics and baseball. He has been inducted in the Puerto Rico Sports Hall of Fame.

Personal Bests\: JT – 71.22 (1956); Dec – 5896 (1952).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1952 Summer Olympics Athletics PUR Reynaldo Oliver
Javelin Throw, Men (Olympic) 25 r1/2
Decathlon, Men (Olympic) 21
1956 Summer Olympics Athletics PUR Reynaldo Oliver
Javelin Throw, Men (Olympic) 19 r1/2
Decathlon, Men (Olympic) DNS

Special Notes