Arnaldo Bristol
Puerto Rican hurdler (born 1945)
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Arnaldo Bristol Sabater (born September 11, 1945) is a Puerto Rican former track and field athlete who specialized in the 110-meter hurdles and sprint relays during the 1960s and 1970s. Bristol represented Puerto Rico at four consecutive Summer Olympic Games between 1964 and 1976 serving as the nation's flag bearer during the opening ceremony of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. On the regional stage, he achieved multi-medal success at the 1970 Central American and Caribbean Games, getting a silver medal in the 110-meter hurdles and a bronze medal as a member of the 4 × 100-meter relay team.
Early life and career
He was born on 11 September 1945 in Villalba, Puerto Rico.[1]
His Olympic debut was in the 100 meters at the 1964 Summer Olympics, where he finished 6th in Heat 1 of the quarterfinals.[2] [3]
Bristol won the 1966 Drake Relays high hurdle race while representing Texas Southern in 13.6.[4] Then, he competed in the 110m hurdles at the 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games and fell and tripped during the race, though he finished. He also competed in the 4 X 100 m relay, finishing 4th in 40.8 seconds alongside Enrique Montalvo, Héctor González, and Jorge Derieux, behind Jamaica in first place, followed by Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba in second and third place, respectively.[5] He returned to compete in the same sport at the 1968 Summer Olympics, finishing 7th in heat 2 of the quarterfinals.[6][3]At the 1970 Central American and Caribbean Games, she won a silver medal in 110m hurdles, losing to Juan Morales, and was followed by Guillermo Nunez from Cuba in third place.Then he won a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 m relay at the 1970 Central American and Caribbean Games, alongside Enrique Montalvo, Víctor López, and Jorge Vizcarrondo.[7]
In 1972, representing the Wharton County Junior College Pioneers, Vizcarrondo led the NJCAA championship qualifiers in the men's 100 yards with a time of 9.6 seconds.[8] Bristol was the flag bearer for Puerto Rico in the 1972 Summer Olympics opening ceremony,[9] where he finished in position 6th heat 1 in round 1 from three rounds.[10]
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing | |||||
| 1962 | Ibero-American Games | Madrid, Spain | 10th (h) | 110 m hurdles | 15.5 |
| 1964 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 21st (h) | 110 m hurdles | 14.69 |
| 1966 | Central American and Caribbean Games | San Juan, Puerto Rico | 5th | 110 m hurdles | NT |
| 4th | 4 × 100 m relay | 40.8 | |||
| 1968 | Olympic Games | Mexico City, Mexico | 15th (sf) | 110 m hurdles | 14.13 |
| 1970 | Central American and Caribbean Games | Panama City, Panama | 2nd | 110 m hurdles | 14.2 |
| 3rd | 4 × 100 m relay | 40.8 | |||
| 1971 | Central American and Caribbean Championships | Kingston, Jamaica | 2nd | 110 m hurdles | 13.9 |
| 2nd | 4 x 100 m relay | 40.7 | |||
| Pan American Games | Cali, Colombia | 2nd | 110 m hurdles | 13.81 | |
| 4th | 4 × 100 m relay | 40.46 | |||
| 1972 | Olympic Games | Munich, West Germany | 31st (h) | 110 m hurdles | 14.61 |
| 1975 | Pan American Games | Cali, Colombia | 3rd | 110 m hurdles | 13.74 |
| 8th | 4 × 100 m relay | 39.80 | |||
| 1976 | Olympic Games | Montreal, Canada | 14th (sf) | 110 m hurdles | 13.98 |