Eulalio Ríos Alemán (21 January 1935 – c. 1980) was a Mexican Olympic

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

Family

He was born to a low-income family in a small town in the state of

Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

, and from a young age he trained to swim against the current of a brook that passed near his home, in Hueyapan de Ocampo, to the south of Catemaco on the road to

Coatzacoalcos Coatzacoalcos (; formerly known as Puerto México; ; Zapotec: ; Popoluca: ''Puertu'') is a major port city in the southern part of the Mexican state of Veracruz, mostly on the western side of the Coatzacoalcos River estuary, on the Bay of Ca ...

Early years

He was already a fast freestyle swimmer with a thudding kick when he went to

Xalapa Xalapa or Jalapa (, ), officially Xalapa-Enríquez (), is the capital city of the Mexico, Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In 2020 census the city reported a population of 443,063 ...

to study law and to be coached in swimming. In 1956 he learned the

butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

stroke under the guidance of his trainer Antonio Murrieta and watched an exhibition of the (by that time) "new dolphin kick" technique by the experienced swimmer Walter Ocampo, of

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

's Centro Deportivo Chapultepec. He practiced and learned quickly in the cold waters of the rustic pool "La PLaya", near Los Berros park in Xalapa. Within a few months he swam successfully in the olympic trials and was ready to compete for Mexico in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.

Competitions, records, prizes

* Panamerican Games * Centroamerican Games * USA Open National Championships * 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games: He competed in the 200 meters butterfly, passed the qualifications heats and participated in the final, becoming the first Mexican swimmer to have done so in Olympic Games. :: See: 200 m butterfly final in 1956 * 1960 Rome Olympic Games Eulalio reached the semifinals. :: See: 200 m butterfly semifinal #1 in 1960. * "Trofeo Latinoamericano Cabeza De Palenque" awarded by the International Swimming Hall Of Fame" (at Fort Lauderdale, FL) "for the 1956 Olympics where he placed 6th in the 200m fly".Hall of Fame
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Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rios, Eulalio Mexican male swimmers Olympic swimmers for Mexico Swimmers at the 1955 Pan American Games Swimmers at the 1956 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1959 Pan American Games Swimmers at the 1960 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Xalapa 1935 births 1980s deaths Pan American Games gold medalists for Mexico Pan American Games bronze medalists for Mexico Pan American Games gold medalists in swimming Pan American Games bronze medalists in swimming Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Mexico Competitors at the 1959 Central American and Caribbean Games Competitors at the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in swimming Medalists at the 1955 Pan American Games 20th-century Mexican sportsmen