Carmelo Ríos Figueroa (October 11, 1959 – October 21, 2022) was a Puerto Rican

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...

, who competed for his native country in the men's

3000 m steeplechase The 3000 metres steeplechase or 3000-meter steeplechase (usually abbreviated as ) is the most common distance for the steeplechase in track and field. It is an obstacle race over the distance of the 3000 metres, which derives its name from the ...

at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the ...

. He set his personal best (8:28.89) in that event on June 17, 1983 in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

Background

Ríos was the silver medalist at the

1983 Pan American Games The 1983 Pan American Games, officially known as the IX Pan American Games () and commonly known as Caracas 1983, were held in Caracas, Venezuela from August 14 to August 29, 1983. The games were the first major international competition to inclu ...

and competed at the

1983 World Championships in Athletics The 1st World Championships in Athletics (; ) were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium (Helsinki), Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between 7 and 14 August 1983 ...

later that year, where he was knocked out in the heats stage. In his only Olympic appearance in 1984, he finished twelfth in his semi-final in the men's steeplechase. He took the bronze medal at the 1985 CAC Championships. Ríos attended

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo or Cal Poly) is a public university in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States, - Cites the location of the university and shows that the university ...

, where he still holds the school record in the Steeplechase set at the

USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport. Since the year 1992, in the years which feature a Summer Oly ...

at 8:28.89 from 1983. Prior to Cal Poly, he competed for

Long Beach City College Long Beach City College (LBCC) is a public community college in Long Beach, California, United States. It was established in 1927 and is divided into two campuses, the Liberal Arts Campus (LAC) in Lakewood Village and the Trades, Technology, an ...

, winning the state community college championship back to back in 1979 and 80. He was also the Southern California champion at 10,000 meters and the third individual at the State Cross Country championships. In 2013, he was honored in the Long Beach City College "Hall of Champions."

Death

Ríos died on October 21, 2022, at the age of 63.

Achievements

Notes

References

External links

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sports-reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rios, Carmelo 1959 births 2022 deaths Place of birth missing Puerto Rican male steeplechase runners Puerto Rican male long-distance runners Pan American Games silver medalists for Puerto Rico Pan American Games silver medalists in athletics (track and field) Olympic track and field athletes for Puerto Rico Athletes (track and field) at the 1983 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics Competitors at the 1986 Central American and Caribbean Games Cal Poly Mustangs men's track and field athletes Medalists at the 1983 Pan American Games 20th-century American sportsmen