Through 2011, Edwin Vásquez is Peru’s only Olympic champion. He was taught shooting by his father, and was one of South America’s best marksmen, winning four titles at the 1947 Bolivarian Games. When arriving in London for the Olympics, though, Vásquez found out his gun was outdated. One of his team members, Luis Mantilla, borrowed a pistol for him, leaving Vásquez little time to practise with it. But it was enough to win the free pistol event, winning by six points over reigning World Champion Torsten Ullman and the other competitors. The other major title won by Vásquez came in 1951, when he won the free pistol event at the inaugural Pan American Games (1951), while placing third in the team pistol event. He continued shooting into his forties, winning a South American title as late as 1968. Vásquez, who worked as a civil engineer, then became involved in sports administration, for the Peruvian Shooting Federation, the Peruvian Olympic Committee and the Peruvian National Sports Council.
Peru