Rolland Lee Romero (August 21, 1914 – November 25, 1975) was an American triple jumper. He was national champion in 1935 and competed in the 1932 and 1936 Summer Olympics.
Romero developed rapidly; his season best in 1932 was 49 ft 10+1⁄4 in (15.20 m), the best jump by an American since Dan Ahearn in 1913.[3][4] At the 1932 United States Olympic Trials he was second behind Sidney Bowman with a jump of 48 ft 10+1⁄4 in (14.89 m), qualifying for the Olympics in Los Angeles.[5]: 75 Romero placed eighth at the Olympics, reaching 14.85 m (48 ft 8+1⁄2 in) on his best jump; as a 17-year-old, he was the youngest athlete on the American track team.[1][3]
Romero scored his only national championship title at the 1935 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) meet, jumping 50 ft 4+7⁄8 in (15.36 m) and breaking Ahearn's meeting record.[1][6] He set his personal best, 50 ft 8+3⁄4 in (15.46 m), in Houston on June 5, 1936.[7][8]
Romero lost to newcomer Billy Brown at the 1936 AAU meet, but won with 49 ft 9 in (15.16 m) at the Olympic Trials the following week.[5]: 83–84 He qualified for the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, where he jumped 15.08 m (49 ft 5+1⁄2 in) and placed fifth; he was the best of the Americans.[5]: 84