Francisco Rojas Soto (born 16 October 1950) is a retired sprinter and hurdler from Paraguay.

Francisco Rojas Soto
Personal information
Born (1950-10-16) 16 October 1950 (age 74)
Guazu-Cua, Paraguay[1]
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb)
Sport
SportSprint, hurdles

Career

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Rojas competed in the 400 m at the 1972 Olympics but was eliminated in the first round.[2] Rojas still holds the national record in the 400 m hurdles, which he set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[3] After retiring from competitions he worked at the Central Bank of Paraguay, and was eventually appointed as head of the Foreign Trade Division. Until 2013, for almost 20 years he was president of the Paraguayan Athletics Federation.[3]

Education and Military

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After receiving his degrees in finance and mechanical engineering, Rojas came to Asunción, where he completed compulsory military service and graduated in economics in 1980. He started competing in running, initially barefoot, while studying in Asunción.[1]

Personal life

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Rojas is married to Celsa Isabel Prentte, they have four children.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Francisco Rojas Soto: Recordman y supercampeón en el atletismo. abc.com.py. 10 May 2004
  2. ^ Francisco Rojas Archived 24 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine. sports-reference.com
  3. ^ a b c ALGO MÁS PARA CONTAR. abc.com.py. 10 May 2004