Oldest Greek Olympian dies
2006-09-15 15:54
Rancho Mirage - Peter Clentzos, a pole vaulter who competed for Greece in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles and carried the Olympic torch on the way to the Athens Games two years ago, has died.
He was 97.
Clentzos, believed to be the oldest living Greek Olympian, died from complications of hip surgery at Eisenhower Medical Centre in Rancho Mirage, his son Pete jnr told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday.
Born in the United States to Greek parents, Clentzos was a pole vaulter at the University of Southern California in the early 1930s. His dual citizenship allowed him to try out for both the US and Greek Olympic teams.
He failed to make the US squad but was selected for the Greek contingent. The then 23-year-old finished seventh in the pole vault competition, clearing 3.75m. American Bill Miller won the gold medal.
"I felt great that day, but I have no excuses," Clentzos told The Associated Press in a 2004 interview. "It was just one of those days."
Despite his disappointment, Clentzos said he had fond memories of the Olympics that helped energize a country beaten down by the Great Depression.
He eventually became a star in Europe, winning the pole vault in the 1935 Balkan Games. He held the Greek national pole vault record from 1935-50 after clearing 4.07m. His personal best was 4.10m.
When World War II broke out, he joined the Army and taught physical education at Santa Ana Army Air Base.
After leaving the military in 1946, Clentzos and his wife of 41 years, Helen, settled in Pasadena. He taught at several high schools, coached a variety of athletic teams, and co-found the Senior Olympics.
In 2004, he ran a leg of the Olympic torch relay past the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and attended the Athens Games as a guest of the Greek government.
Besides his son, Clentzos is survived by sister Barbara Young and several nieces and nephews. His wife died in 1985.
- AP