Gerardo Bönnhoff
German-born Argentine sprinter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gerardo Bönnhoff Koch (born Gerhard Bönnhoff Koch;[1] 24 June 1926 – 26 December 2013) was a German-born Argentine athlete who competed mainly in sprinting.[2]
Bönnhoff in El Gráfico, 1947 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gerhard Bönnhoff Koch June 24, 1926 |
| Died | December 26, 2013 (aged 87) |
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Weight | 58 kg (128 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Sprint (running) |
Events | 100 metres, 200 metres, 4 × 100 metres relay |
| Achievements and titles | |
| 6th place, 200 metres, 1952 Summer Olympics | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  Argentina | ||
| Pan American Games | ||
 | 1951 Buenos Aires | 4x100 m relay |
| South American Championships | ||
 | 1947 Rio de Janeiro | 100 m |
 | 1947 Rio de Janeiro | 200 m |
| 1947 Rio de Janeiro | 4×100 metres relay |
| 1949 Lima | 4×100 metres relay |
| 1952 Buenos Aires | 200 m |
| 1952 Buenos Aires | 100 m |
| 1952 Buenos Aires | 4×100 metres relay |
| 1952 Buenos Aires | 4×400 metres relay} |
| 1956 Santiago | 100 m |
| 1956 Santiago | 200 m |
| 1956 Santiago | 4×100 metres relay |
| 1956 Santiago | 4×400 metres relay |
Born in Berlin, his family moved to Argentina when Bönnhoff was 10 years old.[3] In 1947, at the age of 21, he became an Argentine citizen and legally changed his name from Gerhard to Gerardo.[1] He excelled at the 100m and 200m, and in 1945 he became the 100m Junior South American record holder running in a time of 10.3 sec.[3]
He competed in the 100 m, 200 m and the 4 × 100 m, at the 1948 Summer Olympics but did not get past the 2nd round in any.[2] In 1951 he won the bronze medal at the Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires in the 4 × 100 m relay. He reached the final of the 200 m in the 1952 Summer Olympics and finished sixth.[2]
Bönnhoff was a co-founder of the Confederación Argentina de Atletismo, (CADA).[3]
He died on 26 December 2013 in Ciudad Jardín Lomas del Palomar, Buenos Aires.[2]
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Argentina | |||||
| 1947 | South American Championships | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 1st | 100 m | 11.0 |
| 2nd | 200 m | 22.3 | |||
| 1st | 4 × 100 m relay | 42.3 | |||
| 1948 | Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 21st (qf) | 100 m | 11.09 |
| 4th (qf) | 200 m | NT | |||
| 8th (h) | 4 × 100 m relay | 42.4 | |||
| 1949 | South American Championships | Lima, Peru | 3rd (h) | 100 m | 11.2 |
| 3rd (h) | 200 m | 22.7 | |||
| 2nd | 4 × 100 m relay | 42.3 | |||
| 1951 | Pan American Games | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 8th (sf) | 100 m | 11.3 |
| 4th | 200 m | 21.9 | |||
| 3rd | 4 × 100 m relay | 41.8 | |||
| 1952 | South American Championships | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2nd | 100 m | 10.8 |
| 1st | 200 m | 21.5 | |||
| 1st | 4 × 100 m relay | 41.4 | |||
| 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:18.0 | |||
| Olympic Games | Helsinki, Finland | 6th | 200 m | 21.59 | |
| 7th (sf) | 4 × 100 m relay | 41.4 | |||
| 1953 | South American Championships (unofficial) | Santiago, Chile | 1st | 100 m | 10.9 |
| 1st | 200 m | 21.8 | |||
| 2nd | 4 × 100 m relay | 41.9 | |||
| 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:19.4 | |||
| 1955 | Pan American Games | Mexico City, Mexico | 4th (sf) | 200 m | 21.3 |
| 4th | 4 × 100 m relay | 42.12 | |||
| 1956 | South American Championships | Santiago, Chile | 2nd | 100 m | 10.7 |
| 3rd | 200 m | 10.7 | |||
| 2nd | 4 × 100 m relay | 41.5 | |||
| 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:16.8 | |||
| 1957 | South American Championships (unofficial) | Santiago, Chile | 3rd | 100 m | 11.0 |
| 6th | 200 m | 22.4 | |||
| 2nd | 4 × 100 m relay | 41.6 | |||
| World Festival of Youth and Students | Moscow, Soviet Union | (h) | 100 m | 11.1[4] | |
| (h) | 200 m | 22.8[4] | |||
| 1959 | South American Championships (unofficial) | São Paulo, Brazil | 3rd | 4 × 100 m relay | 44.1 |
| 1960 | Ibero-American Games | Santiago, Chile | 8th (sf) | 200 m | 21.7 |
| 5th | 4 × 100 m relay | 42.3 | |||
| 5th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:18.5 | |||
Personal bests
- 100 metres – 10.3h (Buenos Aire 1945)
- 200 metres – 21.3h (Buenos Aires 1947), 21.59 (+1.0 m/s, Helsinki 1952)
