Tony Parrilla

Tony Parrilla ran the 800 metres for the United States at both the 1992 Barcelona and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He also twice ran at the World Championships (1993, 1995). Parrilla attended the University of Tennessee and won three consecutive NCAA 800 metre titles from 1992-94, something that had only been done twice before. Growing up in Panama, his first sport was football (soccer), but he moved to the United States for high school and became a runner. In April 2000 Parrilla switched his nationality to Puerto Rico. He became a high school cross-country coach and also worked as an exercise physiologist, fitness instructor and personal trainer. His son, José, Jr., later became a runner at the University of Tennessee.

Personal Best: 800 – 1:43.97 (1992).