David Nepomuceno (May 9, 1900 – September 27, 1939) was the first Filipino to compete in the Olympics. He was a runner and the sole representative of the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

at the

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIIe olympiade) and also known as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The op ...

in Paris, France. Nepomuceno, also served as a sailor in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. In 1925, Nepomuceno ran the 100 meters in only two-tenths of a second short of the then-world record.

Early athletic career

Nepomuceno specialized in 100 meter sprints. Along with fellow Filipino Fortunato Catalon, he was considered a world-class sprinter in the 1920s, competing frequently in the Far East.

The Olympics

When the Philippines joined the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

in 1918, the requisite for the country's acceptance was the participation of a Filipino athlete at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, France. Nepomuceno was the sole participant representing the Philippines. At the Olympics, he ran the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes; in neither race was he fast enough to qualify for the quarterfinals.

Far Eastern Games

Nepomuceno won the following medals at the

Far Eastern Games The Far Eastern Championship Games (also known as the Far Eastern Championships, Far Eastern Games or Far East Games) was an Asian multi-sport event considered to be a precursor to the Asian Games. History In 1913, Elwood Brown, president of ...

:Great Britain Athletics, Far Eastern Games
/ref> 1925 * Gold Medal, 200 meter straight dash * Silver Medal, 100 meter dash 1927 * Gold Medal, 100 meter dash * Bronze Medal, 200 meter straight dash

References

External links

* 1900 births 1939 deaths Sportspeople from Albay American military personnel of Filipino descent Athletes (track and field) at the 1924 Summer Olympics Filipino male sprinters Olympic track and field athletes for the Philippines {{Philippines-athletics-bio-stub