Silvio Cator
Encyclopedia
Sylvio or Silvio P. Cator (October 9, 1900 – July 21/22, 1952) was a Haiti
an athlete most successful in the long jump
.
Born in Cavaillon, Haiti
, Cator was a footballer who played for the Trivoli Athletic Club and the Racing Club Haitien
. He participated in the 1924 Summer Olympics
in Paris
in the high jump, where he finished 15th, and the long jump, where he came in 12th. In the 1928 Summer Olympics
in Amsterdam
he won a silver medal in the long jump. His 7.58 m effort was 16 cm short of gold (Edward Hamm). A month later, on September 9, 1928, Sylvio Cator broke Edward Hamm's two-months old world record with a 7.93 m jump at the 1924 Olympic stadium near Paris. He participated one more time in the long jump at the 1932 games in Los Angeles
, where he took the 9th place.
Up to the present day, his silver medal is the best result of a Haitian athlete in the Olympics, with only one further (bronze) medal for the Haitian free rifle team in the 1924 Olympics. His world record long jump is still (2009) the Haitian national record and, with 79 years, the oldest standing national record in athletics.
In 1946 Cator was elected Mayor of Port-au-Prince. Stade Sylvio Cator
, a multi-use stadium
in that city, was named for him and was finished in the year of his death in Port-au-Prince
. In 1958, Haiti issued a series of seven stamps commemorating Cator's Olympic medal and world record 30 years before.
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an athlete most successful in the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
.
Born in Cavaillon, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Cator was a footballer who played for the Trivoli Athletic Club and the Racing Club Haitien
Racing Club Haïtien
Racing Club Haïtien is a Haitian football club, one of the most successful in the country's history. The club plays its home games in Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince, Haiti...
. He participated in the 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in the high jump, where he finished 15th, and the long jump, where he came in 12th. In the 1928 Summer Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
he won a silver medal in the long jump. His 7.58 m effort was 16 cm short of gold (Edward Hamm). A month later, on September 9, 1928, Sylvio Cator broke Edward Hamm's two-months old world record with a 7.93 m jump at the 1924 Olympic stadium near Paris. He participated one more time in the long jump at the 1932 games in Los Angeles
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
, where he took the 9th place.
Up to the present day, his silver medal is the best result of a Haitian athlete in the Olympics, with only one further (bronze) medal for the Haitian free rifle team in the 1924 Olympics. His world record long jump is still (2009) the Haitian national record and, with 79 years, the oldest standing national record in athletics.
In 1946 Cator was elected Mayor of Port-au-Prince. Stade Sylvio Cator
Stade Sylvio Cator
Stade Sylvio Cator is a multi-purpose stadium in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It is currently used mostly for association football matches, and is turfed with artificial turf. The stadium bears the name of Haitian Olympic medalist Sylvio Cator. With a capacity of 30,000, the structure is undergoing...
, a multi-use stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in that city, was named for him and was finished in the year of his death in Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
. In 1958, Haiti issued a series of seven stamps commemorating Cator's Olympic medal and world record 30 years before.