Teófilo E. Yldefonso (born Teófilo Yldefonso y de la Cruz; November 5, 1903 – June 19, 1942) was a Filipino

breaststroke Breaststroke is a human swimming, swimming style in which the swimmer is on their chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to the swimmer's head being out of the water a large portion of the time, and ...

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 ...

. He was the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to win an Olympic medal, and the first Filipino to win multiple medals.

Early life

Teofilo Yldefonso was born on November 5, 1903, in Sitio Bayog, Piddig,

Ilocos Norte Ilocos Norte (), officially the Province of Ilocos Norte (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. It is located in the northwest corner of Luzon island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to t ...

to Felipe and Aniceta Yldefonso. He was the second among three siblings. His mother died after giving birth to his younger brother, who died at a young age. The Yldefonso siblings taught themselves to swim at the Guisit River. Yldefonso joined 57th Infantry Regiment of the

Philippine Scouts The Philippine Scouts ( Filipino: ''Maghahanap ng Pilipinas''/''Hukbong Maghahanap ng Pilipinas'') was a military organization of the United States Army from 1901 until after the end of World War II. These troops were generally Filipinos and ...

of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

in 1922 upon turning 18 years old. It was with the military he was exposed to competitive swimming.

Career

Yldefonso began joining regional swimming meets in the 1923. Competing in the 200-meter breaststroke, he won multiple gold medals in the

Far Eastern Games The Far Eastern Championship Games (also known as the Far Eastern Championships, Far Eastern Games or Far East Games) was an Asian multi-sport event considered to be a precursor to the Asian Games. History In 1913, Elwood Brown, president o ...

(1923, 1927, 1930, and 1934). He also stood out in the Philippine vs. Formosa Dual Meets (1929, 1931, 1933, and 1937). He collected a total of 144 medals in his career which lasted until 1937. He won two bronze medals in the 200 m breaststroke event, at the

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...

and

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held du ...

, and placed 7th in the 1936 edition.

World War II and death

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Yldefonso fought against the Japanese in

Bataan Bataan (, , , ; ) , officially the Province of Bataan, is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entire Bataan Peninsula ...

as part of the

, reaching the rank of lieutenant. He survived the

Bataan Death March The Bataan Death March was the Death march, forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of around 72,000 to 78,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp ...

, but later died in Japanese captivity at

Camp O'Donnell Camp O'Donnell is a current military base and former United States military reservation in the Philippines located on Luzon island in the municipality of Capas in Tarlac. It housed the Philippine Army's newly created 71st Division and after t ...

Capas, Tarlac Capas, officially the Municipality of Capas (; ), is a municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines, and one of the richest towns in the province. The town also consists of numerous subdivisions and exclusive villages. Capas is knon a ...

. His remains have never been recovered as he was interred in a

mass grave A mass grave is a grave containing multiple human corpses, which may or may Unidentified decedent, not be identified prior to burial. The United Nations has defined a criminal mass grave as a burial site containing three or more victims of exec ...

, along with other dead soldiers. His name is etched in the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery.

Personal life

Yldefonso was married to Manuela Ella in 1925 with whom he had six children: Porfirio, Emilio, Felipe, Norma, Herminia, and Carmelito.

Legacy

Yldefonso was named as part of the Hall of Fame by the

International Swimming Federation World Aquatics, formerly known as FINA (; ), is the international federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administering international competitions in water sports. It is one of several international federations whi ...

in 2009. His unorthodox style of swimming would later become known as the "Yldefonso Stroke". It has been adapted by smaller swimmers, especially those from Asia, particularly the Japanese. Yldefenso was often referred to as "The Father of the Modern Breaststroke" in European textbooks. He is credited for popularizing a style which brought breaststroke closer to the surface of the water rather than underwater which was the common during his time. President

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...

also awarded Yldefonso the Presidential Award for Meritorious Service. In 2006, the municipal government of Piddig unveiled a monument in Yldefonso's honor for his feats in swimming and World War II. His daughter, Norma, competed at the 2nd Asian Games held in Manila, Philippines and won a silver medal in the 100m butterfly event. Yldefonso's silhouette is featured in the logo of the 2025 Palarong Pambansa, which will be held in his native Ilocos Norte.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Yldefonso, Teofilo 1903 births 1942 deaths Male breaststroke swimmers Filipino male swimmers Filipino military personnel of World War II Bataan Death March prisoners Olympic swimmers for the Philippines Swimmers at the 1928 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1932 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1936 Summer Olympics Olympic bronze medalists for the Philippines Medalists at the 1928 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Ilocos Norte Ilocano people Olympic bronze medalists in swimming Filipino prisoners of war Philippine Sports Hall of Fame inductees United States Army personnel killed in World War II 20th-century Filipino sportsmen