Arquímedes Herrera

Arquímedes Herrera was a Venezuelan track and field athlete who competed in the sprint events and was ranked #4 in the world in the 100 m in 1963. As a teenager Herrera spent time in the Venezuelan military, taking up his athletics career after his discharge. He claimed three medals at the 1963 Pan American Games held in São Paulo, Brazil. In the final of the 200m dash three athletes crossed the finish line with the same time 21.2 seconds. The Photo finish defined the Venezuelan Rafael Romero stay with gold medal; American Ollan Cassell, with silver; and Herrera, with the bronze. In 1964 he equaled the world record 200-meter dash in 20.5 seconds and also participated at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, where he made the semi-finals in both the 100 metres and 200 metres and was a member of the Venezuelan team which finished sixth in the final of the 4 × 100 metres relay.