Luis Oliva

Luis Oliva (June 21, 1908 – June 30, 2009) was an Argentine athlete who competed in two Olympic Games in 1932 and 1936. Born in Córdoba, Argentina, Oliva was discovered while fulfilling his military service in Argentina. He earned gold medals in the 3000m event at the 1931 and 1933 South American Champions, as well as a silver in the 5000m event in 1933. In the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, Oliva did not make the finals in the Men's 3000 steeplechase event. In the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, he did not finish in the Men's marathon. Oliva appeared in Leni Riefenstahl's documentary of the games and received a personal greeting from Adolf Hitler. After attempting to compete in the canceled 1940 Summer Olympics, he settled down as a physical education teacher in Argentina.