Linking the two London Olympics

It’s an uncanny coincidence that Olympic torchbearer Rodolfo Carlos’ great grandfather Dr. Sixto Almeda Carlos was an official in the Philippine delegation that participated at the 1948 London Summer Games.

Carlos, 38, will carry the Olympic flame in Whitehall, an English West Midlands town known as the center for making locks and keys, on June 30. He was one of five Filipinos chosen to join a cast of 8,000 from 28,000 nominees for the traditional pre-Olympic trek that will lead to the opening of the Games on July 27.

Carlos’ great grandfather established the country’s first dog and cat clinic which is now managed by his brother Dr. Sixto Enrique Carlos in Makati. Carlos couldn’t be sure what his great grandfather’s role was with the Philippine delegation in 1948. But it’s certain Dr. Sixto Almeda Carlos was in London that year. There are pictures that show Dr. Carlos with Philippine officials after landing in London and the family still has the 1948 Olympic patch that he wore on his sportscoat.

Dr. Carlos was neither an Olympic athlete nor coach. He earned his veterinary degree at UP and was trained in the US in equine medicine. As a sports enthusiast, Dr. Carlos was a boxing and horseracing fan. He kept fit by boxing in the gym and engaging in physical exercise. He was a prominent figure in Philippine society, a survivor of a Japanese prison camp during World War II and a veterinarian who always gave back to the community by providing free consultation and medical advice to horse carriage drivers plying the streets of Manila.

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Dr. Carlos’ imprisonment was documented in Marcial Lichauco’s book “Dear Mother Putnam – A Diary of the Second World War in the Philippines.” Lichauco described Dr. Carlos as “one of the best-known and popular characters in Manila, a US-trained veterinarian who was in government service for many years and who, before the war, continued to be much sought after by government agencies because of his skill and irreproachable character…to the American-European residents of Manila, he was better known for the modern and up-to-date cat and dog hospital which he maintained in the grounds of his own residence thus assuring his charges constant care and attention 24 hours of the day.”

Dr. Carlos was picked up by a truckload of Japanese soldiers in 1943 and was severely tortured before he was incarcerated at Fort Santiago. He was arrested on suspicion of supporting the anti-Japanese movement. For 10 days, Dr. Carlos languished in a cell without food or medical care. He was eventually released on the strength of an appeal by several high-profile Filipino government officials.

“My grand-aunt would always mention how my great grandfather always kept himself in shape through boxing and physical exercise and was the epitome of physical culture,” said Carlos, now the manager of feasibility and investment analysis at the InterContinental Hotel Groups (IHG) Americas headquarters in Atlanta. “During family lunches, he would entertain kids by showing feats of strength like bending bottle caps with his fingers. Like me, the indomitable spirit that he developed as an athlete and sportsman helped him to cope during times of adversity. This is perhaps what kept him alive when he was imprisoned by the Japanese.” Carlos underwent two surgeries after being diagnosed with Stage 1 thyroid cancer in 2008.

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At the 1948 London Olympics, the Philippines was represented by athletes in track, boxing, basketball, swimming, shooting and wrestling. The basketball team was coached by Chito Calvo and the players included Ramoncito Campos, Pocholo Martinez, Manoling Araneta, Ding Fulgencio, Eddie Decena, Fely and Gabby Fajardo and Lauro Mumar. The cagers beat Iraq, South Korea, China and Argentina but lost to Chile, Peru and Belgium twice to settle for 12th place. The boxers were flyweight Ricardo Adolfo, bantamweight Bonifacio Zarcal, featherweight Leon Trani, lightweight Ernesto Porto and welterweight Mariano Velez, Jr. The swimmers were Jacinto Cayco, Rene Ambuyok and Sambiano Basanung while the shooters were Martin Guison, Albert Von Einsiedel and Cesar Jayme. The wrestler was bantamweight Francisco Vicera and the trackster was Bernabe Lovina who competed in the 100 and 200-meter runs. The delegation returned home without a medal.

Dr. Sixto Enrique Carlos said his great grandfather helped out the Filipino Olympic boxers and swimmers in 1948. “He trained a lot in boxing,” said Dr. Sixto Enrique Carlos. “He was a very fit and strong guy to survive torture during the Japanese occupation. He was a veterinarian, the first in four generations, and was with the horseracing club. He decided if the horses were fit to run or not. My grandfather Dr. Enrique Carlos was an athletic cheerleader who did backflips and his brother Tito Doring competed in Olympic weightlifting and trained at the YMCA. My father Enrique was into judo, basketball and soccer. My great grandfather pushed the idea of competition and persistence.”

Carlos said it’s almost unimaginable that 64 years after his great grandfather was in London for the Olympics, he will play a part in the prelude to the Summer Games next month. London is the first city to host three Olympics in the modern era and this year’s event promises to be the most unforgettable ever.