Alberto Zorrilla

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games • Non-starter • Other
SexMale
Full nameVictoriano Alberto•Zorrilla
Used nameAlberto•Zorrilla
Nick/petnamesZorilla de Oro
Born6 April 1906 in Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (ARG)
Died23 April 1986 in Miami, Florida (USA)
AffiliationsNYAC, New York (USA)
NOC Argentina
Medals OG
Gold 1
Silver 0
Bronze 0
Total 1

Biography

Born to a wealthy family, Alberto Zorrilla’s father owned multiple ranches in Argentina. Zorrilla began swimming as a youngster and made his international début at the 1924 Olympics, where he reached the 100 free style semi-finals. After winning South American championships in 1924-25, he moved to the US in the fall of 1926 and joined the New York Athletic Club. At the 1928 Olympics, Zorrilla won gold in the 400 free from an outside lane, surprisingly beating the favorites Buster Crabbe, Boy Charlton and Arne Borg. He was also seventh in the 100 freestyle and fifth at 1,500 metres, thus becoming the second and, as of 2017, the last person to reach the finals of every freestyle event at one Olympics, after Borg, who swam in every freestyle event final in 1924. Zorrilla was the Argentine flag bearer at the 1932 Olympics, but an illness prevented him from defending his Olympic title.

After his swimming career, Zorrilla stayed in New York, working as a journalist, and became a naturalized US citizen in 1954. He was inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1976.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1924 Summer Olympics Swimming (Aquatics) ARG Alberto Zorrilla
100 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) 6 h2 r2/3
400 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) 4 h4 r1/3
4 × 200 metres Freestyle Relay, Men (Olympic) Argentina 4 h3 r1/3
1928 Summer Olympics Swimming (Aquatics) ARG Alberto Zorrilla
100 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) 7
400 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold
1,500 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) 5
4 × 200 metres Freestyle Relay, Men (Olympic) Argentina 4 h1 r1/2
100 metres Backstroke, Men (Olympic) DNS
1932 Summer Olympics Swimming (Aquatics) ARG Alberto Zorrilla
100 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) DNS
400 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) DNS

Other participations

Games Role NOC As
1932 Summer Olympics Flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony ARG Alberto Zorrilla