Armando Padilla

Armando Padilla (born 27 August 1956) is a Nicaraguan sprinter. He competed in the men's 100 metres and 200 metres at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

Career In August 1975, Padilla set the Nicaraguan 100 m record at the 1975 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics, running 10.6 seconds hand-timed. Also in 1975, Padilla set his 200 m personal best of 22.0 seconds.

He was also entered in the 200 metres, seeded in the 1st heat. He ran 23.07 seconds to place 4th, advancing as a place-based qualifier to the quarter-finals. His achievement of qualifying from the heats to the quarter-finals was called the greatest achievement of a Nicaraguan runner. His performance was said to have been aided by the withdrawal of three African competitors in his heat.

In the quarter-finals later that day, Padilla improved upon his time to run 22.74 seconds, but only finished 7th and did not advance to the semi-finals.

Personal life Padilla lived in the United States for several years. He was considered a strong candidate for the Nicaraguan Sports Hall of Fame due to his 1976 performance.