Francisco Villota y Baquiola (18 November 1873 – 7 January 1950) was a Spanish ' (player of

Basque pelota Basque pelota (Basque: '' pilota'', Spanish: '' pelota vasca'', French: '' pelote basque'') is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall (''frontis or fronton ...

) who competed at the

1900 Summer Olympics The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1900, link=no), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 1 ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Villota competed in the only official pelota contest in Olympic history, the

Basque pelota at the 1900 Summer Olympics At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a Basque pelota tournament was contested. Only two teams entered, from Spain and France, but the French team, which included Maurice Durquetty and Etchegaray, withdrew before the competition: therefore, the tournamen ...

two-man teams event. He and his partner

José de Amézola y Aspizúa José de Amézola y Aspizua (; 9 January 1874 – 1922) was a Spanish Basque pelotari who competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Amezola entered in the only official pelota contest in Olympic history, the Basque pelota at ...

were given the silver medal (equivalent nowadays to the gold medal) after achieving the first place without having to play, since the only other contestants, the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

team, Maurice Durquetty and

Etchegaray Etchegaray is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Roger Etchegaray (1922–2019), French cardinal * Etchegaray (pelotari), French sportsman who competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris See also *Echegaray Echegaray (from Basq ...

, withdrew due to a disagreement about the rules. This was Spain's first ever Olympic Medal.

References

Sources

* De Wael, Herman. ''Herman's Full Olympians'': "Pelota 1900". Accessed 25 February 2006. Available electronically a

. *
"El primer medallista olímpico español ya tiene rostro y nombre"
* Pelotaris at the 1900 Summer Olympics Olympic pelotaris for Spain Olympic gold medalists for Spain Spanish pelotaris 1873 births 1950 deaths Medalists at the 1900 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Madrid {{Spain-Olympic-medalist-stub