José Vicente

José Vicente’s first major international pole vaulting medal came at the 1946 Central American and Caribbean Games, when he captured the title in that event. He retained this distinction at the next edition, four years later in 1950, and, in between, served as his nation’s flag bearer at its initial foray into the Olympics in 1948. There he finished joint ninth in the pole vault, alongside his compatriot Joe Barbosa and France’s Victor Sillon. He also competed at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, where he was eliminated in the qualifying round. After his retirement from active competition, Vicente entered academia and became an expert in agriculture, specializing in the study of coffee. He spent over four decades with the Agricultural Research Service and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1988.

Personal Best: PV – 4.14 (1948).