Darío Villalba
Spanish painter and figure skater (1939–2018)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Darío Villalba Flórez (22 February 1939 – 16 June 2018)[1][2] was a Spanish painter, photographer, and competitive figure skater. He represented Spain at the 1956 Winter Olympics where he placed 14th.
![](#/media/File:"La_guerra_ha_terminado"_-_20_(8542744747).jpg) | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Darío Villalba Flórez |
| Born | 22 February 1939 San Sebastián, Spain |
| Died | 16 June 2018 (aged 79) Madrid, Spain |
| Figure skating career | |
| Coach | Thea Frenssen |
| Began skating | c. 1950 |
Life and career
Darío Villalba Flórez was born on 22 February 1939 in San Sebastián.[3] He began skating at age 11 in Philadelphia, where his father was serving as the Spanish consul.[4] He returned to Spain when he was 14 years old.[5] 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.[4]
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.[6]
In 2002, Villalba became a member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.[4]
Competitive highlights
| International[3] | |
|---|---|
| Event | 1956 |
| Winter Olympics | 14th |
| World Championships | 15th |
Bibliography
- Luis Gonzales-Robles, Darío Villalba, Galleria del Naviglio, Milan, 1970
- Giancarlo Politi, Darío Villalba, Galeria Vandres, Madrid, 1974
