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San JuanCuba's threetime Olympian and 1968 relay silver medallist Pablo Montes died on Sunday at the age of 62, victim of a heart attack.
"It is a great loss for all of us in the world of athletics. We had the honour to award him alive and induct him into the Central American and Caribbean Athletics Hall of Fame," said Central American and Caribbean Athletics Confederation president Victor Lopez.
Lopez competed with Montes in the 1960's and 1970's and recalled his three gold medal feat at the 1970 Central American and Caribbean Games in Panama City.
In 1968, Montes ran the third leg in the Cuban quartet who claimed the 4x100m silver medal at the Mexico Olympics, together with Enrique Figuerola, Juan Morales and Hermes Ramírez.
In the Mexican capital, he clocked 10.1 four times, including a personal best of 10.14, to become the second Cuban man after Figuerola to run an Olympic sprint final. He finished fourth.
Another highlight of his career was the three gold medals he won at the 1970 CAC Games in Panama: 100m, 200m and 4x100m. In the 100m semifinals, he ran a swift wind-aided 9.7 (9.93).
Today, he is still ranked among the fastest 100m men in Cuba ever. After he hanged up the spikes, he continued to contribute to the sport as a coach. He also led the veterans' commission of the Cuban Athletics Federation until his death. He would have turned 63 on November 23. His funerals will be held on Monday.
Javier Clavelo Robinson for the IAAF