}
Gerardo Bönnhoff Koch (born Gerhard Bönnhoff Koch; 24 June 1926 – 26 December 2013) was a German-born Argentine athlete who competed mainly in sprinting.
Born in Berlin, his family moved to Argentina when Bönnhoff was 10 years old. In 1947, at the age of 21, he became an Argentine citizen and legally changed his name from Gerhard to Gerardo. He excelled at the 100m and 200m, and in 1945 he became the 100m Junior South American record holder running in a time of 10.3 sec.
He competed in the 100 m, 200 m and the 4 × 100 m, at the 1948 Summer Olympics but did not get past the 2nd round in any. In 1951 he won the bronze medal at the Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires in the 4 × 100 m relay. He reached the final of the 200 m in the 1952 Summer Olympics and finished sixth.
Bönnhoff was a co-founder of the Confederación Argentina de Atletismo, (CADA).
He died on 26 December 2013 in Ciudad Jardín Lomas del Palomar, Buenos Aires.
International competitions Representing 1947South American ChampionshipsRio de Janeiro, Brazil1st100 m11.02nd200 m22.31st4 × 100 m relay42.31948Olympic GamesLondon, United Kingdom21st (qf)100 m11.094th (qf)200 mNT8th (h)4 × 100 m relay42.41949South American ChampionshipsLima, Peru3rd (h)100 m11.23rd (h)200 m22.72nd4 × 100 m relay42.31951Pan American GamesBuenos Aires, Argentina8th (sf)100 m11.34th200 m21.93rd4 × 100 m relay41.81952South American ChampionshipsBuenos Aires, Argentina2nd100 m10.81st200 m21.51st4 × 100 m relay41.42nd4 × 400 m relay3:18.0Olympic GamesHelsinki, Finland6th200 m21.597th (sf)4 × 100 m relay41.41953South American Championships (unofficial)Santiago, Chile1st100 m10.91st200 m21.82nd4 × 100 m relay41.93rd4 × 400 m relay3:19.41955Pan American GamesMexico City, Mexico4th (sf)200 m21.34th4 × 100 m relay42.121956South American ChampionshipsSantiago, Chile2nd100 m10.73rd200 m10.72nd4 × 100 m relay41.53rd4 × 400 m relay3:16.81957South American Championships (unofficial)Santiago, Chile3rd100 m11.06th200 m22.42nd4 × 100 m relay41.6World Festival of Youth and StudentsMoscow, Soviet Union (h)100 m11.1 (h)200 m22.81959South American Championships (unofficial)São Paulo, Brazil3rd4 × 100 m relay44.11960Ibero-American GamesSantiago, Chile8th (sf)200 m21.75th4 × 100 m relay42.35th4 × 400 m relay3:18.5
Personal bests 100 metres – 10.3 (Buenos Aire 1945) 200 metres – 21.3 (Buenos Aires 1947), 21.59 (+1.0 m/s, Helsinki 1952)
References