45:38 Emilio Abreu DeGásperi, paraguayan swimmer... and also my pastor for 20 years until he passed away in 2022. He was one of the greatest men Paraguay has ever had... and not only because he was a silver medal swimmer, but also because he was a champion in preaching the Gospel of Christ. During Stroessner's dictatorship, pastor Emilio didn't hesitate on preaching anywhere he could. Afterwards he was the founder of CFA Church, the most influential christian church in Paraguay (a country where majority is still roman catholic). Emilio was a simple man, always willing to help and teach. For me and my family it wasn't just our pastor, but a good friend. Little did he know when parading in this Olimpics that he would become one of the most influential men in his country. He would remember this Olimpics and other tournaments he performed in his sermons quite often... USA had Billy Graham. Paraguay had Emilio Abreu. ¡Hasta que suene ESA trompeta, pastor emilio!😭❤
In 1973 I was at a Sydney, Australia school swimming carnival and one of those swimmers went on to swim for Canada in the 1976 Olympics. He actually made it into an Olympics finals race but finished last in that. How did he fare in that schools carnival ? Oh, he thrashed them.
Most African countries were pissed off over New Zealand’s rugby team playing a friendly match in South Africa during the day of apartheid. The African countries asked the IOC to ban New Zealand from the 1976 Olympics as a result of this, and when the IOC refused, they responded by withdrawing from the Montreal Olympics. Some countries made it to the airport only to fly straight back while others participated in these opening ceremonies only to pull out within the first day or two of competition. That just shows how close all this was to the beginning of the Olympics.
Ni siquiera estuvo Alejandra Ramos (corredora atlética, quien fue la mejor deportista de ese año 1976, por el Círculo de Periodistas Deportivos de su país).
