Darío Villalba

Darío Villalba Flórez (February 22, 1939 – June 16, 2018) was a Spanish painter, photographer, and competitive figure skater. He represented Spain at the 1956 Winter Olympics where he placed 14th.

Darío Villalba
Personal information
Full nameDarío Villalba Flórez
Born(1939-02-22)February 22, 1939
San Sebastián, Spain
DiedJune 16, 2018(2018-06-16) (aged 79)
Madrid, Spain
CoachThea Frenssen
Former training locationsChamonix
Philadelphia
Began skatingc. 1950
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Villalba and the second or maternal family name is Flórez.

Life and career

Darío Villalba Flórez 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 1983 he received Spain's National Award for Plastic Arts.[4]

In 2002, Villalba became a member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.[2]

Competitive highlights
International[1]
Event 1956
Winter Olympics14th
World Championships15th

Bibliography
  • Luis Gonzales-Robles, Darío Villalba, Galleria del Naviglio, Milan, 1970
  • Giancarlo Politi, Darío Villalba, Galeria Vandres, Madrid, 1974

References
  1. "Dario Villalba". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18.
  2. "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. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  3. Morenilla, Juan (11 February 2014). ""Yo era un bicho raro"". El Pais. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015.
  4. "El premio a Català Roca y el reconocimiento a la fotografía, novedad de los galardones nacionales de Artes Plásticas" [The Award to Català Roca and the Recognition of Photography, Release of the Nationals for Plastic Arts Winners]. El País (in Spanish). Madrid. 1983-12-07. Retrieved 2019-06-21.


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