ATHLETES from Panama

Top 3

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Panamanian Athletes of all time. This list of famous Panamanian Athletes is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Lloyd La Beach (1922 - 1999)

With an HPI of 46.35, Lloyd La Beach is the most famous Panamanian Athlete.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages on wikipedia.

Lloyd Barrington LaBeach (28 June 1922 – 19 February 1999) was a Panamanian sprinter, who won two bronze medals during the 1948 Summer Olympics, the first Olympic medals for Panama and for Central America. He also competed in the long jump. In the 100 meters, he finished behind American athletes Harrison Dillard and Barney Ewell for third place, ahead of favorite Mel Patton, also from the United States.Born in Panama City, his parents were Jamaican immigrants. While Lloyd was still in school the family relocated to Jamaica, where La Beach first showed his talent in athletics. He later entered the University of California, Los Angeles, where he was coached during his preparations for the Olympic Games. In 1948, he set the world record in the 200 meters on a cinder track in Compton, California. After the race, he was described in Time as "Panama's one-man Olympic hope." Just a few weeks before La Beach had been involved in a world record setting 100-yard dash, in which he barely lost at the finish line tape to Patton. These 1948 performances made him one of the expected medal contenders against Patton and Ewell in the Olympics. His brother Byron LaBeach, also a sprinter, competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics representing Jamaica.LaBeach retired from athletics in 1957, and died in New York City, on 19 February 1999, at the age of 76.

2. Irving Saladino (b. 1983)

With an HPI of 39.23, Irving Saladino is the 2nd most famous Panamanian Athlete.  His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

Irving Jahir Saladino Aranda (born January 23, 1983) is a Panamanian former long jumper. He was Olympic champion, having won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and remains Panama's first and only Olympic gold medalist. He was world champion in the long jump in 2007. He represented his country at three consecutive Olympics, from 2004 to 2012, and competed at four World Championships in Athletics from 2005 to 2011. Amongst his honours are a silver medal from the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships and gold medals at the Pan American Games, Central American and Caribbean Games, Central American Games, South American Games, the IAAF World Cup and the Ibero-American Championships in Athletics. He holds a long jump best of 8.73 m (28 ft 7+1⁄2 in), set in 2008. He ranks in the all-time top ten for the event. He had the longest jumps in the world in the 2006 and 2008 seasons.

3. Alonso Edward (b. 1989)

With an HPI of 29.88, Alonso Edward is the 3rd most famous Panamanian Athlete.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Alonso Reno Edward Henry (born 8 December 1989), commonly known as Alonso Edward, is a Panamanian sprinter who specialises in the 100 and 200 metres. He set a South American junior record in the 100 m in 2007. Edward competed in his first World Junior Championships in 2008, finishing in sixth place. He made significant improvements in the 2009 season, setting national records in the 100 m and 200 m in May, and winning both events at the 2009 South American Championships in Athletics. Prior to the 2009 World Championships, he again beat the 200 m national record, becoming the fourth fastest runner of the season. At his first ever World Championships he set a South American record to win the silver medal in the 200 metres final, becoming the youngest ever medallist in that event.