Mateo Flores

Mateo Flores

Personal information
Born	February 11, 1922
Medal record Men's Athletics Competitor for  Guatemala Pan American Games Gold 1955 Mexico City Marathon

Mateo Flores, born Doroteo Guamuch Flores (February 11, 1922 – August 11, 2011),^[1] was a Guatemalan long-distance runner who won several international events, including the Boston Marathon in 1952.

Career

Flores was born in Cotió, Mixco, a town near Guatemala City. During his early athletic career, Flores worked in as a low-paid laborer in a textile factory. He would wake at 4:00 am to run for two hours, and run an additional two hours after returning from work at 6:00 pm.

Flores' career spanned from 1941 to 1957; prior to winning the 1952 Boston Marathon, he was the winner of multiple international races, notably the marathon at the 1946 Barranquilla Games, the half marathon at the 1950 Central American and Caribbean Games in Guatemala, and the marathon at the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City. He also participated in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.

1952 Boston Marathon

On April 19, 1952, Flores participated in the Boston Marathon, a major international racing event. He took the lead from his countryman Luis H. Velasquez after the first ten miles, and, against any predictions, finished ahead of U.S. competitor Victor Dyrgall by almost five minutes, recording a time of 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 53 seconds.His record remained as a national record for Guatemala for seventeen years, until November 5, 1969, when it was broken by Julio Quevedo.^[2]

Controversy

The Boston achievement made Flores a sports icon in his country, and the Guatemalan government paid him tribute by renaming the national stadium in Guatemala City to Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores. However, although he was treated as a national hero by the Guatemalan government, which also awarded him the Order of the Quetzal (the nation's highest civilian honor), government authorities showed trepidation in regards to Flores' indigenous ethnicity. The most vivid example of this is that the national stadium named in his honor used his Ladino version of his given name, Mateo, rather than his indigenous name, Doroteo Guamuch.The controversy also includes the fact that it was the name he took by choice. Many believe that the Guatamalan government should now convert the name of the stadium to honor his idigenous roots. ^[3]

The government's decision to change the name of this national hero of idigenous descent is just one example of the government's racist policies of cultural segregation that included the exclusion of idigenous people from citizenship in Guatemala in 1952. In order to recognize the great accomplishment of this non-Guatamalan citizen of idigenous descent, Doroteo Guamuch Flores, the government changed his name so that the accolades bestowed upon him would be acceptable to those in power. The resulting redefinition of Guamuch Flores' indigenous ethnicity to Ladino was further evidenced in the choosing his new Ladino name to denote Ladin's main sports facility in that country. Thus, Doroteo Guamuch Flores' success as "Mateo" Flores indicated to the idingenous people of Guatamala that to be accepted they must also adopt Ladino names. This began a trend among the indigenous of Guatemala to seek individual acceptance in the Ladino-controlled governement of Guatemala by changing their names to Ladino names. All this should make us reflect on the impact of a product of modernity as is the case of sport in the Latin American continent, where there has been a distinct practice of racism to exclude indigenous people from participation in sports and in the control of their land. ^[4]

Life after retirement

Flores became a Professor of physical education after his retirement. He has also been a golf caddy and occasional player. He was a practicing Roman Catholic. He died on August 11, 2011.

References and footnotes

1. ^ (Spanish) "Famous Guatemalan persons: Mateo Flores" - www.deguate.com
2. ^ Race summaries from the Official Boston Athletic Association and Boston Marathon web site - www.bostonmarathon.org
3. ^ Source: http://www.efdeportes.com/efd101/flores.htm
4. ^ Source: http://www.efdeportes.com/efd101/flores.htm

External links

• (Spanish) Mateo Flores: racismo y nación en Guatemala - www.efdeportes.com - Biography and career

Persondata
Name	Flores, Mateo
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 11, 1922
Place of birth
Date of death	August 11, 2011
Place of death	Guatemala City