Juan Ruano Rojas (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1923) soon began to stand out in various sporting activities, including soccer: at just 20 years old he was discovered by the Aguere Atlhetic Club and by the Spanish University Union (SEU), where they were detected his skills as an athlete. In 1944 he won his first national championship in Avilés, in 400 meters, and stood out in the 200 test. In 1948 he was considered the best national sprinter with a mark of 10.9 in 100 meters, the minimum time to go to the Olympic Games in London, although it could not participate due to lack of subsidy. In 1953 he achieved the Spanish record of 100 meters with a time of 10.8 seconds. In 1958 he retired, although he always remained linked to island athletics until his death in 2004.
