12. Part Two: 1st Filipino Olympic Medalist and Swimming Hero TEÓFILO YLDEFONSO

Back-to-Back Bronzes in L.A.

On  June 1932, the Philippine line-up made headlines with the announcement of the 8 athletes for the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. Making it to the list were 4 boxers, 3 swimmers, and only one field event athlete. The Olympic hero and corporal was joined by 2 rising Muslim swimmers, 100 m. freestyler Abdurahman Ali and the young Jikirum Adjaluddin, who, like Yldefonso was a 200 m. breaststroke specialist. The Philippine contingent embarked that same month for the United States to start their new quest for glory. They were among the first national athletes to reach Los Angeles, arriving there on the 1^st week of July, headed by Prof. Candido Bartolome, head of delegation and coach, Joaquin Alviar, assistant coach.

Hopes were high when the Olympics unfolded in Los Angeles (Jul. 30-Aug. 14, 1932), where the games were “dedicated to the principles and ideals of modern Olympism”. The finals were held at the open Swimming Stadium, with 12,000 people in attendance, beginning with the preliminary heats. Filipino swimmer Ali placed third in his heats and was immediately eliminated. But it was dfferent in the 200 m. breaststroke events where two Filipinos were fielded—Yldefonso and Adjaluddin.

The trials consisted of 4 heats where the first 2 fastest, plus the fastest 3^rd  automatically advanced to the Semifinals. Yldefonso topped Heat 3 with a time of 2:53.7 minutes, but Adjaluddin fared much better in Heat 1 with a time of 2: 49.9 minutes, placing 2^nd to Yoshiyuki Tsuruta. However, Tsuruta, the current Olympic record holder ,had lost the Far Eastern Games gold to Yldefonso in 1930. 

The 2 Filipinos breezed through to the 2 semifinal heats with the first 3 moving on to the Finals. Both heats  produced surprising results: Tsuruta, in Heat 1, was beaten by fellow Japanese, Reizo Koike.  Germany’s Erwin Sietas, whom Yldefonso had relegated to 4^th place in the 1928 Olympics, topped Heat 2. Five Asians (3 Japanese, 2 Filipinos) and one European (German) thus, constituted the Finals of the 200 m. breaststroke.

Before a cheering, screaming crowd, the Japanese secured a 1-2 finish with Tsuruta duplicating his Gold medal finish (2:45.4 mins.) in 1928, followed by Koike (2:46.6 mins.). Yldefonso was a close 3^rd with an improved time of 2:47.1 mins. Sietas, again remained medal-less in 4^th . The other Filipino, Adjaluddin acquitted himself in his Olympic debut by placing 5^th. With his second Bronze, Yldefonso secured another place in history as the first Filipino to score a back-to-back medal finish in the same event, in 2 successive Olympics, a feat boxer Nesthy Petecio would repeat only in 2024, after 92 years!

Going for a Three-peat in Berlin

Yldefonso was the toast of the country upon his return.  Of the 3 Filipino medalists who brought home Bronzes from Los Angeles, his star shone the brightest. The corporal was given a Dinner-Dance tribute in October 1932 led by Capt. E.U.O. Waters, his company commander , at the 57^th Inf. Barracks, for bringing pride and honor to his Company “A”. The formal event was graced by the guests of honor:  Commanding Officer Col. Howard C. Price; and ranking officer like the Batallion Commander Maj. Collins, Plans and Training Officer Maj. Gunnar Mortensen, and of course, the Yldefonso Family.

In the next few years, Yldefonso continued to stamp his dominance in swimming when, in the 1933 Philippine-Formosa Dual Meet, he emerged again as the Gold medalist in the 200 m. breaststroke event. This was followed by another Gold at the Philippine National Championships, and a final Gold for his pet 200 m. breaststroke event at the last Far Eastern Games held in Manila in 1934.

The Australia Swimming Association invited Yldefonso in November 1935 to participate in a series of swim meets in Melbourne in February 1936, but he was already deep in training. In 1935, Yldefonso accomplished the unthinkable by establishing new National Records for the 100 m. breaststroke , clocking in first with an impressive time of 1 :16 mins. He reset the 200 m. breaststroke time, cutting it down to 2 mins 45 secs. flat. Everybody knew he was a shoo-in for the 1936 Olympic team that was set to be held in Berlin.

The Philippine team that was finally assembled for the Olympic year was the biggest ever—30 athletes to compete in 20 events. Aside from Yldefonso and Adjaluddin, the  swimming team was boosted with 3 more additions: Arsad Alpad, Jose Obial, and Nils Christiansen.

Off to a good start, all swimmers—saved for Obial—cleared their first heats for the semifinal round.  But only Yldefonso reached the Finals of the 200 m. breaststroke event with a time of 2:46.8 mins. By now, Yldefonso was a 33 year-old husband and a father. 

In the finals, watched by Adolph Hitler from the bleachers,  Yldefonso faltered and slowed down to 2:51.1 mins., placing 7^th and last. New Japanese star Tetsuo Hamuro grabbed the Gold in Olympic record time, followed by Erwin Sietas and Reizo Koike, 2 swimmers whom Yldefonso had beaten in the past. The Philippine team came home from their Olympic debacle with just one medal to show, a Bronze from hurdler Miguel White. With that, came to a close Yldefonso’s amazing run in 3 World Olympics.

Post-Olympics and His Final Lap

After his return from the Olympics, Yldefonso got back to the swing of things at his camp. He and other Olympic players were invited to perform public exhibition swims at the Rizal Memorial pool, and toured nearby towns like Angeles, Pampanga during fiestas. After the hoopla, Yldefonso turned to the more serious business of raising his growing family of 6 children: Porfirio, Emilio, Felipe, Norma, Herminia, and Carmelito.

In 1937, he participated in another edition of Philippine-Formosa Dual Meet where he won double Golds for his 100 m. and 200 m. breaststroke events without a cinch. This would be his final competitive appearance. News reports in 1939 also confirmed that the “old reliable” was training for that year’s dual meet in Manila, but no follow-up news confirmed his actual participation.

Japan was supposed to host the next 1938 Far Eastern Championship Games, but troubles brewed when the country invaded Manchuria that turned into another serious Sino-Japanese War. Japan had also won the bid for the 1940 Olympics. With the worldwide condemnation of Japanese forces in Manchuria, and with the U.S. calling for the boycott of the 1940 Tokyo, the Japan government decided to scrap both events. In fact, even the 1944 Olympics was cancelled, all because of a terrible war was looming in the Pacific horizon.

By the late 30s, the war that had spread and ravaged Europe had escalated into a World War with the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan in 1941. With the U.S. declaring war, it was just a matter of days before the Philippines, a U.S. territory, was attacked. 

Yldefonso’s 57th Infantry Regiment (Philippine Scouts) were called to action to man the Abucay-Mauban line in Bataan, which was critical to the defense of the Philippines as it was a major point of entry for the Japanese. After a valiant stand, the Fil-Am forces—exhausted, starving, disease-ridden and with depleted supplies, began to retreat. On 9 April 1942, Bataan fell and the United States and its forces surrendered, to prevent any more casualties.

The remaining troops that survived, including Yldefonso, were forced to walk in the infamous 105 km. Death March from Bataan to San Fernando, Pampanga, with scores dying along the way. Yldefonso reached the prisoner camp, O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac, weak and emaciated, but his condition worsened due to maltreatment. He died of dysentery and blood poisoning, as per official records,  on 19 June 1942.

Like many deceased POW, Yldefonso’s was buried in a mass grave. His name is inscribed on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery. A long-overdue memorial monument of their fallen son was unveiled in the town plaza of Piddig in 2006—a true hero whether in the arena of sports or in the field of battles.

NOTES: Yldefonso’s birth year appears as either 1902 or 1903. He held the rank of a sergeant, as it appears on the memorial wall; some accounts say he rose to become a lieutenant. Versions from the family about Yldefonso’s last days have it that he died of gangrene infection due to untreated shrapnel wounds, cradled by younger brother Teodoro when he breathed his last. Also, his swimming archrival, Yoshiyuki Tsuruta, who had become a lieutenant of the Japanese Imperial Army, was said to have tried to have him released upon learning of his capture. However, Yldefonso chose to stay with his men. Her eldest daughter, Norma Yldefonso (later, Arganda)  inherited his swimming genes; she won a Silver in the 100 m butterfly event at the 1954 Asian Games in Manila. She passed away in 2017.

SOURCES:

Official Olympic Report, 1928 Amsterdam Olympics

Official Olympic Report, 1932 Los Angeles Olympics

Official Olympic Report, 1936 Berlin Olympics, vol. 1 and vol. 2.

Teofilo Yldefonzo - NHD Silent Heroes, https://nhdsilentheroes.org/profiles/teofilo-yldefonzo/#:~:text=Through%20a%20fellow%20soldier%2C%20Yldefonzo,States%20entered%20World%20War%20II.

"Teófilo Yldefonso - Hall Of Fame Pioneer". www.swimmingworldmagazine.com. Retrieved August 22, 2021.

https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/hall-of-fame/bio/pioneer/te%C3%B3filo-yldefonso

When Tokyo Cancelled its First Olympics, https://www.pacificatrocities.org/blog/1940-summer-olympics-when-tokyo-cancelled-its-first-olympics

The Tribune, various 1932-1938 issues.

11. Part One: 1st Filipino Olympic Medalist and Swimming Hero TEÓFILO YLDEFONSO

The Philippines, in just its second participation at the World Olympics, won its first ever Olympic medal,  courtesy of the much-celebrated, trailblazing swimmer  TEÓFILO YLDEFONSO (or Spanish “Yldefonzo” as entered in Olympic record books). It was for Yldefonso’s historic third place finish in the 200 meter Breaststroke swimming event at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, where he bagged the Bronze Medal. In 1932, he would repeat that feat in the same event 4 years later at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, winning another Bronze for the first ever back-to-back win for the Philippines.

In his time, Yldefonso would be regarded as one of the best breaststrokers in the world, known for his unique style of doing the stroke closer to the surface, instead of underwater, which allowed for quicker recovery and faster speed. This “Yldefonso Style” would become popular with swimmers of smaller stature, which led to his being named “Father of the Modern Breaststroke”. Decades after his tragic death , the International Swimming Federation would honor Yldefonso with the ultimate accolade, by inducting him in the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2010.

An Ilocano Baby Shark is born.

Yldefonso was born on 11 November 1902 in Piddig, Ilocos Norte, one of 3 sons of Felipe Yldefonso and Aniceta de la Cruz, the middle of 3 siblings after Vicente and before Teodoro. Another brother died in infancy, and his own mother soon followed.

Despite these early tragedies, Teofilo, according to a 1938 article about his early life , “was raised in an environment mentally, and physically so healthy as to lay the foundation for his fighting heart and marvelous physique. Experimenting bit by bit, and growing bolder and more confident in himself as time went on, he taught himself the rudimentary principles of swimming.” It was said that Yldefonso learned to swim at the nearby Guisit River in his hometown.

Making Waves in the Military

Yldefonso joined the Philippine Scouts under the command of the U.S. Army Philippine Division in 1922.  At age 24, now a slim, muscular youth of twenty four, Yldefonso raised his right hand and took the oath of allegiance to the United States. He was assigned to Company "D" 57th Infantry 'where he received his initiation into the military, and found it to his liking. The young military was stationed at Fort McKinley, and as part of his physical conditioning, he would refine his self-taught swimming skills at Pasay Beach near Manila.

Yldefonso had not been three months in the service before he entered his first swimming meet. It was against the University of the Philippines which that year boasted as strong an aggregation of tank stars as had ever represented the University. He took second place for the McKinley team in the 200 yard breast-stroke. True, it was

but second place, but the young soldier, having tasted once of the thrill of competition knew that greater things were in store — and they were.

In the next few years, Yldefonso  competed in every available swim meets—from the local McKinley Games in 1924 where he won 4 Golds in his individual events (except for a swim relay where the team settled for a Silver),  the Philippine National Championships (where he won 6 first places in 1925) to the highly competitive regional multi-sport  Far East Games Championship Games, that he started joining beginning in 1923.

A Pool of Talent at the Far Eastern Games

The sixth edition of the Far Eastern Championships marked Yldefonso’s debut in this regional meet against Japanese and Chinese athletes that was staged in Osaka, Japan in May 21-25, 1923. As if he were just testing the waters, he placed second in his 100 m. breast stroke event, ruled by the Japanese.

When he returned to the 1925 Far Eastern Games held in Manila, Yldefonso won Gold in the 220 Yds. breaststroke,  and a Silver for 200 M. Men’s Relay. Another milestone achievement that same year was his marriage to Manuela Ella, with whom he would father 6 children.

In the next 3 stagings of the Far Eastern Games (1927 Shanghai, 1930 Tokyo, 1934 Manila) Yldefonso would dominate the 200 M. breaststroke winning 3 Golds in all 3 editions. By 1928, the name "Yldefonso",  became synonymous with the sport of swimming.  Soon the whole world was to hear of the self-taught merman.

A Man of Bronze in Amsterdam

Yldefonso’s unparalled performance at the 3 Far Eastern Games made him an instant member of the compact Philippine Olympic team chosen to go to the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. Four Filipino competitors comprised the selection, an improvement from the 1-man representative in 1924: 2 in Athletics (Anselmo Gonzaga for the sprints, Simeon Toribio for the High Jump) and 2 in Swimming.  Yldefonso had a companion in the person of a spectacular Tausug swimmer, Tuburan Tamase, who specialized in middle to long distance swimming races.

It must have been an exciting journey for Yldefonso to travel for the first time to Europe, to Netherlands of tulips and windmills, so far removed from his humble Piddig hometown. But the thrill of competition was far greater as the swimming events went underway in August 1928.

To get to the finals, the well-built, 161 pound,  5 ft. 7 athlete had to hurdle the preliminary series or heats. There were 4 series of 5 swimmers each. Only the top 8 finishers of the heats will advance to the Semifinals. Yldefonso was in Series  3, and finished the race with a time of 2 min. 56 and 2/5 secs. But since there were ties (Yldefonso and German Erwin Sietas were in joint 5th, Canada’s W. Spence and Austria’s K. Schafer were in joint 4th ), nine swimmers made it to the semifinals).

Two Semifinal races were held to determine the 6 finalists. Yldefonso was in the series with the Japanese Yoshiyuki Tsuruta, who had topped the preliminaries. He came in 3^rd, improving his time to 2:53 and 1/5 of a second. Of the 6 finalists, he had the third best time, with Tsuruta on top.

On 8 August 1928, the 200 m., the breaststroke finals were held before jampacked crowd at the Olympic natatorium. Yldefonso was in the outermost lane, next to the German Sietas. At the sound of the gun, the swimmers dove into the 50 meter pool and began their strokes, 4 laps in all. Japan’s Tsuruta won a clear Gold, clocking in at 2 mins. 48 4/5 secs—a new Olympic record. Germany’s Erich Rademacher came in 2 seconds later, at 2 mins. 50 3/5 secs., for the Silver medal. Yldefonso and Sietas practically clawed their way to the wall, but Yldefonso touched first to claim the Bronze Medal, at 2 mins. 56 2/5 secs. Sietas was just 1/5 of a second behind. 

Yldefonso’s Bronze would be the very first Olympic medal to be won by a Filipino across all sports; but to a jubilant Philippines, it was just as good as  Gold. Upon his return from Amsterdam, he was met with tumultuous reception by his countrymen, was feted by his proud comrades of the 57^th Infantry Regiment, and was given medals of recognition by his U.S. Army Commander.

In the Swim of Things Between Olympics

Never to rest on his laurels, Yldefonso continued his swimming career with the next Olympics in mind. In 1929, he was sent to the 1^st Philippine-Formosa Dual Meet, a biennial swimming championship goodwill even that would run until the 1950s.

As usual, the “Ilocano Shark” was unbeatable in his favorite breaststroke event and was part of the 4-man freestyle relay team that won Gold. His winning streak continued later in the year at Philippine National Championships, even trying out longer distances with success—he placed 2^nd in the 1,500 m. race. He also medalled at the 1930 Philippine Military Department Meet.

His most important meet however was the 1930 Far Eastern Games held in Tokyo, Japan. In the 200 m. breaststroke finals, he turned the table on the 1928 Olympic champion Yoshiyuki Tsuruta. It could be recalled that Yldefonso placed 3^rd to Tsuruta in Amsterdam, but this time, he won the Gold convincingly, to the dismay of the hometown crowd.

Then, as a tune up to the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, Yldefonso made a splash once more at the 1931 Phil. National Championships and the Phil.-Formosa Dual Meet, sweeping all the breaststroke golds. His only rare miss was at the 1932 Philippine Military Dept. Meet where he placed second in the 220 Yds. breaststroke event, but came back to win Gold at the Philippine National Championships.

PART II FOLLOWS