Joaquim Cruz
Cruz in 2007
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Joaquim Carvalho Cruz |
| Born |
March 12, 1963 Taguatinga, DF, Brazil |
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) |
| Weight | 74 kg (163 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | 800 m, 1500 m |
| Club | Reebok/Team Nike/Funilense |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 800 m – 1:41.77 (1984) 1500 m – 3:34.63 (1988) |
Joaquim Carvalho Cruz (born March 12, 1963) is a former Brazilian middle-distance runner, winner of the 800 meters at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He is one of only five men to run the 800 metres in less than 1:42 minutes.
Cruz was born in Taguatinga, in Distrito Federal. As the son of a steel worker, he began running as a 13-year-old, and soon showed astonishing talent as a junior. At the age of only 15 his personal best over 800 m stood at 1:51 min. After setting a junior world record of 1:44.3 min in 1981, he received a scholarship for the University of Oregon in 1983. The move immediately paid off, and Cruz won the NCAA championships over 800 m that same year. He also competed in the inaugural World Championships in 1983, winning the bronze.
The following year, Cruz became one of only a handful of people to win the 800/1500 m double at the 1984 NCAA Track & Field Championships (a feat that would not be repeated for another 26 years until another Oregon Duck, Andrew Wheating, turned the trick in 2010). Cruz is the co-holder of University of Oregon 1,500 m school record of 3:36.48 along with A.J. Acosta. Later that summer, he ran a time of 2:14.09 min over 1000 m in Nice which is still the current South American record over that distance.
The 1984 Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles, and Cruz was considered to be one of the 800 m favorites, along with world record holder Sebastian Coe of Britain. In the last turn of the 800 meter final, Cruz started a sprint from second place and took the lead, never losing it. He crossed the line in 1:43.00, breaking Alberto Juantorena's Olympic Record and making him the first Brazilian Olympic track and field gold medalist since triple jumper Adhemar Ferreira da Silva won both in 1952 and 1956.
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