Rolando Cruz

Rolando Cruz
Personal information
BornSeptember 17, 1939 (1939-09-17) (age 87)
Salinas, Puerto Rico
Height180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight68 kg (150 lb)
Medal record
Men's Athletics
Representing  Puerto Rico
Central American and Caribbean Games
Gold medal – first place1959 CaracasPole vault
Gold medal – first place1962 KingstonPole vault
Gold medal – first place1966 San JuanPole vault
Ibero American Games
Gold medal – first place1960 SantiagoPole vault
Pan American Games
Bronze medal – third place1959 ChicagoPole vault

Rolando Cruz Quiñones (born September 17, 1939, in Salinas, Puerto Rico) is a former pole vaulter from Puerto Rico. He trained under Jimmy Curran at Mercersburg Academy and Jim 'Jumbo' Elliott at Villanova University. He competed for his native country in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1956 and was the flag bearer for Puerto Rico in the 1964 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. He is a three-time gold medalist at the Central American and Caribbean Games: 1959, 1962 and 1966.

His personal best in pole vault was 4.96 metres set in 1964. His brother, Rubén Cruz, was also a pole vaulter.

Cruz later became a lawyer and president of a life insurance company. From 1977 to 1981 he served as Commissioner Of Insurance of Puerto Rico.

International competitions

YearCompetitionVenuePositionNotes
Representing Puerto Rico
1956 Olympic Games Melbourne, Australia 16th (q) 4.00 m
1959 Central American and Caribbean Games Caracas, Venezuela 1st 4.40 m
Pan American Games Chicago, United States 3rd 4.32 m
1960 Olympic Games Rome, Italy 4th 4.55 m
Ibero-American Games Santiago, Chile 1st 4.35 m
1962 Central American and Caribbean Games Kingston, Jamaica 1st 4.72 m
Ibero-American Games Madrid, Spain 1st 4.50 m
1964 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 21st (q) 4.50 m
1966 Central American and Caribbean Games San Juan, Puerto Rico 1st 4.54 m
1967 Central American and Caribbean Championships Xalapa, Mexico 1st 4.50 m

References

  1. ↑ Curran is Given Trip to Europe, Morning Herald (Hagerstown), January 23, 1960
  2. ↑ Puerto Rican Vaulter Eyes Finn's Mark, Hutchison News, February 4, 1963
  3. ↑ "Rolando Cruz". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  4. ↑ Cuevas, Luis Romero (18 June 1966). "Heriberto y Rolando Cruz en 400 vallas y pértiga; Cuba 1ro. con 34 puntos". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 November 2025.