Page 297 - Guía Oficial Delegación Argentina

Pionera. Jeannette Campbell es
la primera mujer argentina en the Middleweight category. During
ganar una medalla olímpica
tras finalizar segunda en los his childhood, Lovell had worked
100 metros libre de natación selling newspapers and he had
en Berlín 1936. had to defend his newsstand by
hitting some people. That is why
Pioneer. Jeannette Cam- he was nicknamed “The terror
pbell is the first Argen-
tine woman who wins of Dock Sud”, who went to the
an Olympic medal, after Games knowing that he would
ending second in the 100m bring the gold medal. And so he
freestyle Swimming event, did. He beat the Italian boxer Luigi
Berlín 1936.
Rovati on points in a decisive match,
and he accomplished his goal.
Carmelo Robledo had also been a newsv-
endor as a child, on the corner of Córdoba’s Avenue
su pronóstico. Carmelo Robledo también había sido and Rodríguez Peña Street. He learnt how to box in
repartidor de diarios en su infancia, en la esquina de the streets when he was twelve. In Los Angeles 1932,
avenida Córdoba y Rodríguez Peña. Allí, en la calle, during three consecutive days, he had three fights,
aprendió a boxear a los 12 años. En Los Angeles 32, with three clear victories, demonstrating all the ex-
en tres días sucesivos, tuvo tres combates, con tres perience gained in Amsterdam 1928. The struggle
claras victorias, demostrando toda su experiencia for the gold took place against the German Josef
ganada en Amsterdam 28. La pelea por el oro fue Schleinkofer, but for that fight there is a story: un-
ante el alemán Josef Schleinkofer pero para esa pe- believable, the transport meant to take him from the
lea hay una historia: increíblemente el transporte Olympic Village to the Stadium never arrived. Then,
que debió llevarlo desde la villa Olímpica hasta el the National delegation’s cooker who was an Argen-
estadio no llegó. Entonces el cocinero de la delega- tine living in Los Angeles, offered to give him a lift
ción nacional, que era un argentino radicado en Los in his car. Happily, he managed to arrive in time and
Ángeles, se ofreció a llevarlo en su auto particular. won on points his match against Schleinkofer without
Felizmente llegó a tiempo y derrotó a Schleinkofer leaving a shed of doubt whatsoever, even though his
por puntos sin dejar dudas ante un rival que lo su- opponent’s physical stamina was much better than
peraba físicamente. Para recordar, al volver a Ar- his. For the memories, when he returned to Argen-
gentina le regaló a su madre dos fotos que se había tina, he gave his mother two photographs he had
sacado con los actores Mary Astor y Clark Gable, taken with actors Mary Astor and Clark Gable, two
dos estrellas de Hollywood. Hollywood stars.
En estos Juegos se dio una de las hazañas más In these Games, one of the National Sport’s most
grandes que el deporte argentino supo conseguir. El dramatic feats ever took place. Juan Carlos Zabala,
rosarino Juan Carlos Zabala, el ‘Ñandú criollo’, se the Rosario-born nicknamed “el Ñandú Criollo” (The
dio el gusto de ganar el maratón. Huérfano desde Creole Ostrich) felt the pleasure of winning the Mara-
los 6 años, Zabala se había criado en un orfanato de thon. An orphan since age 6, he had been raised in
Marcos Paz donde comenzó a destacarse en el atle- a Marcos Paz orphanage, where he begun to stand
tismo. A la hora de la largada de aquel inolvidable 7 out in Athletics. When the race was about to start
de agosto, Paavo Nurmi, el ‘Finlandés volador’, se le on that unforgettable August 7th, “the Flying Finn-
acercó y le dijo que si corría con la cabeza ganaría. ish” Paavo Nurmi, came by him and told him that if
Zabala salió primero del estadio Olímpico repleto he ran with the head, he would win. Zabala went first
por 75 mil espectadores. Siempre se mantuvo en- of the Olympic stadium, being crowded with 75,000
tre los puestos de punta y a cuatro kilómetros de la people. He kept among the first places and when 4
meta recuperó el liderazgo para no dejarlo jamás. kilometers were left to reach the end, he recovered
El joven con el número 12 en la espalda y una ‘A’ his leadership and did not let it go till the end. The
en el pecho de su camiseta de algodón blanca con youngster with the number 12 on his back and a let-
una franja celeste, cruzó la meta luego de competir ter “A” on the chest of his light-blue and white t-shirt,
durante dos horas, 31 minutos y 36 segundos esta- crossed the lane after two hours, thirty-one minutes
bleciendo un nuevo récord olímpico y ganándose un and thirty-six seconds, setting a new Olympic Record
lugar en la historia grande del atletismo argentino and winning a place in the big history of the Argentine
y mundial. and World Athletics.