Guillermo Echevarría
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Full name | Guillermo•Echevarría Pérez |
| Used name | Guillermo•Echevarría |
| Born | 13 May 1948 in Ciudad de México (Mexico City), Ciudad de México (MEX) |
| Died | 24 November 2021 in Cuernavaca, Morelos (MEX) |
| Measurements | 175 cm / 71 kg |
| NOC |  Mexico |
Biography
Guillermo Echevarría was a Mexican distance swimmer who competed at the 1964 and 1968 Olympics, making the final of the 1968 1,500 freestyle, in which he finished sixth. He is best known for setting a world record in the 1,500 on 7 July 1968, when he recorded 16:28.1 to better Mike Burton’s world mark, only to have Burton re-take the record a few months later.
Echevarría was severely injured in 1981 in an accident on the Puebla-Orizaba Highway and was in a coma for two months but did recover. He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and in 2016 received the National Award for Sports Merit.
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | MEX |
Guillermo Echevarría | |||
| 400 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | ||||||
| 1,500 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 9 | |||||
| 4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Men (Olympic) | Mexico | 12 | ||||
| 4 × 200 metres Freestyle Relay, Men (Olympic) | Mexico | 15 | ||||
| 1968 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | MEX |
Guillermo Echevarría | |||
| 200 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | ||||||
| 400 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 11 | |||||
| 1,500 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 6 |
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Long Course Swimming (1500 m freestyle – 7 July 1968 - 3 September 1968: 16:28.1 (7 July 1968; Santa Clara, USA))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games (8–1–1 1966 San Juan SWI gold: 200 m freestyle, 400 m freestyle, 1500 m freestyle, 200 m backstroke, 200 m butterfly, 400 m medley, 4×200 m freestyle relay, and 4×100 m medley relay, silver: 4×100 m freestyle relay, bronze: 100 m freestyle)