Alejo Alvarez Explained

Alejo Alvarez (c. 1890s  - c. 1940s) was a Filipino track and field athlete who competed in the shot put and discus throw events.

Alongside Regino Ylanan, he was the most successful throws athlete at the Far Eastern Championship Games. Alvarez competed in two editions of the competition. At the 1917 Tokyo Games he won the shot put with a throw of and was runner-up in the discus to compatriot Rafael Montes with a mark of .[1]

He returned at the following edition in Manila in 1919 and completed a throws double for the host nation. He won the discus with a throw of and defended his shot put title with – the first time a man cleared eleven metres at the event. This made him one of Asia's foremost throws athletes at the start of the 20th century. He was one of only a dozen track athletes to win three or more individual titles during the history of the Far Eastern Championship Games, which was the first major multi-sport event in Asia and a forerunner to the Asian Games.[1]

He was killed in the Philippines during World War II, defending against the Japanese invasion.[2]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/fec.htm Far East Championships
  2. Web site: June 9, 2022 . FORTY-ONE WWII VETERANS CONFERRED WITH U.S. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL . June 5, 2024 . Philippine Veterans Affairs Office.