Polin Belisle

Apolinario "Polin" Belisle Gómez (born July 2, 1966) is a former marathon runner. He represented Belize at the 1988 Olympic Games and was scheduled to represent the Honduras at the 1992 Olympic Games, before being removed from the team, although he nevertheless took part in the marathon event.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Belisle and the second or maternal family name is Gómez.

Polin Belisle
Personal information
Birth nameApolinario Belisle Gómez
NationalityBelizean, Honduran, American
Born (1966-07-02) July 2, 1966
Honduras
Sport
SportLong-distance running
Event(s)Half marathon, Marathon

Personal life

Polin Belisle was born in Honduras, and brought up in Belize, and later became a naturalized American citizen in 1989.[1]:399[2][3] He studied at Burbank High School in the US.[3]

Career

Belisle recorded a time of 2:36:18 at the 1988 Long Beach Marathon to finish 20th, although it was later rumored that he had only started the race, and rested in the middle of the race.[2] Nevertheless, he was chosen to represent Belize in the marathon at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, where he finished 98th and last place of the finishers, in a time of 3:14:02, more than an hour slower than the winner, Gelindo Bordin.[1]:399[4][5]

In April 1990, Belisle set the Belize half-marathon record by recording a time of 1:13:30 in the Belize City marathon.[6] In 1991, Belisle was disqualified from the 1991 Long Beach Marathon after CCTV footage could not spot him during the middle of the race; he had originally finished fifth. Belisle was also disqualified from the 1992 Los Angeles Marathon, in which he had finished 20th, for the same reason.[1]:399[2]:231–232[4]

Prior to the 1992 Summer Olympics, Belisle applied to compete for the Honduras under the name Apolineria Belisle Gomez.[lower-alpha 1] Belisle told the Honduras Olympic Committee that he had been born in Honduras and moved to the United States when he was six; he omitted to mention that he had spent some of his childhood in Belize, and also that he had competed for Belize at the 1988 Olympics.[lower-alpha 2] Belisle also mentioned his time at the Los Angeles marathon, which was quicker than any Honduran athlete had run, and Belisle even offered to pay for his own travel expenses to the Games.[7] On July 15, Belisle swore an oath to the Honduras Olympic Team, and was entered to compete in the 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres and marathon events at the 1992 Olympics.[3] On July 29, Belisle was noticed by the Belize Olympic team, who informed Ned Pitts, the president of the Belizean Olympic Committee.[3][5] After being reported to the Honduras Olympic Committee, Belisle was removed from the team, and thrown out of the Olympic Village, although he kept his identity card and race number.[1]:399[2]:232[4] As a result, Belisle was still able to compete in the marathon race, running with the leaders for the first mile before dropping back. He did not finish the race.[2]:232[4][8] He is believed to have been the first unauthorized runner to compete at the Olympics since 1984, when Margaret de Jesús competed in place of her sister Madeline in a qualifying heat of the 4×400 metres race.[2]:232–233

Notes
  1. Belisle had competed for Belize at the 1988 Olympics under the name Polin Belisle.
  2. As Belisle had competed for Belize at the 1988 Olympics, he would have required permission to compete from the Belize Olympic Committee.[1]:399
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References
  1. Martin, David E.; Gynn, Roger W. H (April 2000). The Olympic Marathon. Human Kinetics Publishers. p. 399. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  2. Tibballs, Geoff (May 2004). The Olympics' Strangest Games: Extraordinary But True Tales from the History of the Olympic Games. Robson Books. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  3. "Marathon Man From Nowhere : Olympics: After being removed from the Honduran national team, Belisle was off and running in Barcelona". Los Angeles Times. September 16, 1992. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  4. "The lost Olympians". The Independent. August 7, 2004. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  5. Wallechinsky, David; Loucky, Jaime (July 2012). The Book of Olympic Lists. Aurum Press. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  6. "Ron Hyde wins Master's category in Arizona marathon". Amandala. January 16, 2007. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  7. Meyers, Jeff (September 16, 1992). "Marathon Man From Nowhere : Olympics: After being removed from the Honduran national team, Belisle was off and running in Barcelona". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  8. Arscott, David (May 2011). The Olympics, A Very Peculiar History. Book House. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
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