Crispin Quispe

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Crispin Quispe (born 13 May 1946) is a Bolivian former long-distance runner who competed in the 10,000 metres and marathon at the 1972 Olympic Games. He grew up in Potosí and trained in Uyuni, often eating bananas and marraquetas because money was scarce. He set seven Bolivian national records in events from 3000 metres to the marathon.

At the 1972 Bolivian Olympic trials he finished fourth but earned a place at the Games by meeting a minimum standard. In Munich he competed in two events: the 10,000 metres, where he finished 15th in his heat and did not reach the final, and the marathon, where he finished 61st with a time of 3:07:23.

Quispe formed friendships with his teammates, though he was saddened when Ricardo Condori left for the United States after the Games. While preparing for the 1977 Bolivarian Games, he fell ill and was described by the Bolivian press as “the forgotten athlete.” He was known for answering “No sé” (“I don’t know”) to reporters, a line that became associated with him. He is considered one of Bolivia’s most beloved athletes, and in 2024 he urged the country to better develop its athletes and to use the word “atleta” more.

After retiring, Quispe moved to a small town about 40 kilometres from Uyuni and kept llamas. He later faced health problems, including lung issues, and blindness in one eye due to glaucoma. In April 2020, he was robbed at his home by thieves from Challapata, tied up overnight, and robbed of items including a picota and garrafas; his llamas were killed. He had previously been robbed of 2,500 Bolivianos. His son Ludger Quispe became a national-level boxer.