Puerto Rico competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. 21 competitors, all men, took part in 19 events in 4 sports.
On November 25, 1950, Avery Brundage contacted Department of State advisor Forney Rankin about the participation of Puerto Rico at the inaugural Pan American Games. The Departments of State, Interior and Defense opposed the idea, as noted in their reply dated December 14, 1950. Brundage argued in favor of sending Puerto Ricans along the USOC, but allowing them the use of their flag. His attempts continued into 1951. Not all American officials in the United States Committee opposed the participation of Puerto Rico in the event, as the participation was favored by organization member General Rose. The issue of having two delegations with the same flag and anthem was also contentious. Ultimately, Puerto Rico did not participate in the games and it became apparent that its participation in such events was done for the foreseeable future.
However, Finland invited the delegation to the 1952 Summer Olympics. The subject became a topic of discussion between Governor Luis Muñoz MarÃÂn and Secretary of the Interior James P. Davis. Funding for the delegation was raised locally. The games coincided with the implementation of the Commonwealth, which despite its continuing territorial status recognized the flag of Puerto Rico as official. Due to this, the flag of the United States was used in the opening ceremony, but replaced on July 25. The athletes (among them Eugenio Guerra) were aware of the historic significance of the event, which marked the first time that the flag of Puerto Rico had been used as an official symbol in international events (tough it had been used as an unofficial symbol of protest and resistance prior to it).
Track events
Field events
Legend: <br> PTS = Points<br> KO = Knockout<br> R = Round
Five shooters represented Puerto Rico in 1952.
Footnotes
Bibliography