Voting Station

Leo Manzano

Please vote to return to collections.

Athlete

The Resume

    (September 12, 1984- )
    Born in Dolores Hidalgo , Mexico
    Birth name is Leonel Manzano
    Middle-distance Track Athlete
    2012 Summer Olympics Silver Medalist
    Specializes in the Men's 1500 Metres and the Indoor Mile.
    Signed endorsement contract with Hoka One-One Shoe Company after ending partnership with Nike (Apr. 2014)
    5-time NCAA Champion at the University of Texas

Why he might be annoying:

    His family crossed the border and entered the country illegally when he was four years old.
    He had rivalries with fellow Olympic Medalists Galen Rupp and Matt Centrowitz.
    His parents were against his becoming a professional runner, allegedly telling him to 'get a real job.'
    He wore hiking boots and blue jeans on his first day of High School Cross Country practice, due to his unfamiliarity with the sport.
    He is a training buddy of Nick Symmonds.
    His Running PR has been called inconsistent.
    Leftists tried to commandeer his success by calling him 'The DREAM Act Olympian.'
    He drew criticism for waving the Mexican flag while running for the US at the Olympic games.
    He was dissatisfied Nike's offer while negotiating his contract renewal and he chose to go shopping for better offers from another brand.
    When he failed to find a better offer, he returned to Nike to accept the offer only to find the offer gone and no longer on the table.
    He overdramatized about being without a sponsor, claiming that he was having a hard time feeding his family to win sympathy (ever heard of working retail, buddy?)

Why he might not be annoying:

    He gives hope to short guys trying to make it in athletics.
    He spent close to 2 years without a sponsor, subsidizing his running on custom-made T-Shirts sold on his website.
    He has been described as down-to-earth and personable.
    He is the first American to win an Olympic medal of any kind in the 1500-metre since Jim Ryun won silver in 1968.
    He chose not to play the race card over being sponsor-less, although many were insisting his ethnicity was a factor.
    He created ‘The Manzano Mile,’ which raises funds in support of non-profit youth and other charitable programs (2010).
    He won a total of 9 Texas 4A State High-School championships in Track & Field/Cross-Country.
    He placed 12th in his Semi-Final at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
    He said ‘The United States is my home and I’m very proud to represent it. I love this country and wouldn’t change it for anything, but my roots are Mexican and I also feel proud to be able to carry the two flags.’

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 33 Votes: 12.12% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 15 Votes: 46.67% Annoying