Peter Clentzos
Peter Clentzos 
|
|
| Full name | Peter D. Clentzos |
| nation |
 Greece United States
|
| birthday | June 15, 1909 |
| place of birth | Oakland , California , United States |
| size | 170 cm |
| job | Teacher |
| date of death | September 11, 2006 |
| Place of death | Rancho Mirage , California , United States |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| discipline | Pole vault |
| Best performance | 4.12 m |
| society | Palaio Faliro University of Southern California |
| Trainer | Dean Cromwell |
Peter D. Clentzos ( Greek Πέτρος Χλέντζος , Petros Chlentzos; born June 15, 1909 in Oakland , California , † September 11, 2006 in Rancho Mirage , California) was an American pole vaulter of Greek descent.
Career
Clentzos grew up as the son of Greek immigrants in Oakland, California. His parents came from the Greek island of Kythira . Clentzos attended the University of Southern California at Los Angeles and joined the athletics team. He trained pole vault with Dean Cromwell and became university champion in 1930 and 1931.
Clentzos was not admitted to the US eliminations for the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. So he decided to start for his parents' homeland. In Los Angeles there were only seven other athletes besides Clentzos. Clentzos could only jump the first height (3.75 m), at the next height of 3.90 m he failed. Ultimately, he finished seventh as the Brazilian Carlos Nelli failed to make a valid attempt. In a competition the following year he jumped 4.12 m, his personal best.
After graduating, Clentzos went to Barstow High School, teaching history and woodworking. Here he was also the coach of the athletics team and the football team. During World War II , he served as a sports instructor at the Santa Ana Army Air Base. After the war, the now married Clentzos moved to Pasadena and taught at the local Roosevelt High School. He later worked as an advisor to Narbonne High School and as the assistant director of Franklin High School.
The Greek government invited Clentzos as a guest of honor for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens . He also took part in the torch relay.
On September 11, 2006, he died at the Eisenhower Medical Center at Rancho Mirage due to complications following hip surgery.
Web links
- Peter Clentzos in the database of trackfield.brinkster.net (English)
- Peter Clentzos in the database of Sports-Reference (English; archived from the original )
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Clentzos, Peter |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Clentzos, Peter D. (full name); Χλέντζος, Πέτρος; Chlentzos, Petros |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American-Greek pole vaulter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 15, 1909 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Oakland , California |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 11, 2006 |
| Place of death | Rancho Mirage , California |