Joaquim Cruz facts for kids
Cruz during the 2007 Parapan American Games
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Joaquim Carvalho Cruz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 12 March 1963 Taguatinga, Federal District, Brazil |
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| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 74 kg (163 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 800 m, 1500 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Reebok/Team Nike/Funilense | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 800 m – 1:41.77 (1984) 1500 m – 3:34.63 (1988) |
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Medal record
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Joaquim Carvalho Cruz (born March 12, 1963) is a famous Brazilian former middle-distance runner. He won the gold medal in the 800 meters at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Joaquim is one of only a few athletes in history to run the 800 meters race in less than 1 minute and 42 seconds.
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Joaquim Cruz: A Running Star
Joaquim Cruz was born in Taguatinga, Federal District, Brazil. His father was a steel worker. Joaquim started running when he was 13 years old. He quickly showed a lot of talent as a young runner. By age 15, he could run 800 meters in 1 minute and 51 seconds.
Early Achievements and College
In 1981, Joaquim set a junior world record for the 800 meters. His time was 1 minute and 44.3 seconds. This amazing achievement earned him a scholarship to the University of Oregon in the United States in 1983. That same year, he won the 800 meters at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships. He also competed in the very first World Championships and won a bronze medal.
Doubling Up and Setting Records
In 1984, at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, Joaquim did something very special. He won both the 800-meter and 1500-meter races. This is a rare "double win" that few athletes achieve. He also holds the University of Oregon school record for the 1500 meters. Later that summer, he set a South American record for the 1000 meters in Nice, France.
Olympic Glory in 1984
The 1984 Summer Olympics were held in Los Angeles. Joaquim Cruz was one of the top favorites to win the 800 meters. Another strong competitor was Sebastian Coe, who held the world record. In the final moments of the 800-meter race, Joaquim made a powerful sprint. He took the lead and held onto it, winning the gold medal!
His winning time was 1 minute and 43.00 seconds. This broke the Olympic record set by Alberto Juantorena. Joaquim became the first Brazilian Olympic athletics gold medalist since Adhemar Ferreira da Silva won in 1952 and 1956.
Post-Olympic Success
After his Olympic win, Joaquim continued to run incredibly fast. A few weeks later, he ran the 800 meters in 1 minute and 42.34 seconds in Zurich. This made him only the second runner ever to break 1 minute and 43 seconds. A few days later, in Cologne, he ran the 800 meters in 1 minute and 41.77 seconds. This was the second-fastest time in history for that event at the time. By the end of 1984, he was ranked the number one 800-meter runner in the world.
In 1985, Joaquim continued his success, winning many 800-meter races. He even beat Sebastian Coe in one race. He was ranked the world's best 800-meter runner for the second year in a row.
Injuries and Comebacks
In the years that followed, Joaquim faced challenges with injuries. Despite this, he won a gold medal in the 1500 meters at the 1987 Pan American Games.
At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Joaquim aimed to win another 800-meter gold. He was in a good position but was passed by Paul Ereng of Kenya, earning Joaquim a silver medal. Injuries, especially to his Achilles' tendon, made it hard for him to compete at the highest level after this.
He made a comeback in 1993 and won his last major race in the 1500 meters at the 1995 Pan American Games. In 1996, he participated in his third Olympics in Atlanta. He was the flag-bearer for Brazil but did not reach the finals in the 1500 meters.
Life After Running
After retiring from competitive running, Joaquim Cruz became a running coach. He works at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California. He coaches many athletes, including Paralympic athletes like David Brown and Shaquille Vance.
In 2007, Joaquim had the honor of being the last torchbearer. He lit the flame cauldron at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.
See also
In Spanish: Joaquim Cruz para niños
