Darío Villalba
| Darío Villalba | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Darío Villalba Flores |
| Country represented | Spain |
| Born |
February 22, 1939 San Sebastián |
| Coach | Thea Frenssen |
| Former training locations |
Chamonix Philadelphia |
| Began skating | c. 1950 |
Darío Villalba Flores (born February 22, 1939 in San Sebastián) is a Spanish painter, photographer, and former competitive figure skater. He represented Spain at the 1956 Winter Olympics where he placed 14th.
Life and career
Darío Villalba Flores was born on February 22, 1939 in San Sebastián.[1] He began skating at age 11 in Philadelphia, where his father was serving as the Spanish consul.[2] He returned to Spain when he was 14 years old.[3] As the only rink in Spain was small and of poor quality, his parents sent him to Chamonix, France, where he was taught by a German coach, Thea Frenssen.[2]
At the age of 16, he represented Spain at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. He placed 14th of 16 competitors in the men's singles event. He then finished 15th at the 1956 World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
In 2002, Villalba became a member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.[2]
Competitive highlights
| International[1] | |
|---|---|
| Event | 1956 |
| Winter Olympics | 14th |
| World Championships | 15th |
References
- 1 2 "Dario Villalba". Sports Reference.
- 1 2 3 "Dario Villalba: "En los Juegos mi obsesión era no quedar último"" [Dario Villalba: "At the Olympics, my obsession was not finishing last"]. Hielo Español (in Spanish). 24 July 2012.
- ↑ Morenilla, Juan (11 February 2014). ""Yo era un bicho raro"". El Pais. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015.