Joaquín Capilla Pérez (December 23, 1928 – May 8, 2010), was a Mexican diver who won the largest number of Olympic medals among Mexican athletes. Together with his elder brother

Alberto Alberto is the Romance languages, Romance version of the Latinized form (''Albertus'') of Germanic languages, Germanic ''Albert (given name), Albert''. It is used in Italian language, Italian, Portuguese language, Portuguese and Spanish language, ...

he competed in the 3 m springboard and 10 m platform at the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Olympics and won one gold, one silver and two bronze medals, finishing fourth in the two remaining competitions. He also won four medals at the Pan American Games, in 1951 and 1955. After retiring from competitions Capilla descended into poverty, chain smoking and alcoholism, eventually losing his family and home. He recovered owing to religion and later earned a degree in

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

. In 2009 he was awarded the National Sports Award. He died the next year in 2010 as a result of

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

, at the age of 81.

References

1928 births 2010 deaths Mexican male divers Divers from Mexico City Olympic divers for Mexico Olympic gold medalists for Mexico Olympic silver medalists for Mexico Olympic bronze medalists for Mexico Divers at the 1948 Summer Olympics Divers at the 1952 Summer Olympics Divers at the 1956 Summer Olympics Olympic medalists in diving Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics Pan American Games gold medalists for Mexico Pan American Games divers for Mexico Pan American Games gold medalists in diving Divers at the 1955 Pan American Games Divers at the 1951 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1951 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1955 Pan American Games 20th-century Mexican sportsmen {{Mexico-acrobatics-diving-bio-stub