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Haydée Coloso-Espino

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Haydée Coloso-Espino
Personal information
National teamPhilippines
Born(1937-08-28)August 28, 1937
Dueñas, Iloilo, Philippine Commonwealth[1]
DiedAugust 12, 2021(2021-08-12) (aged 83)
Iloilo City, Philippines
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle, Butterfly
Medal record
Representing the  Philippines
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Asian Games 3 5 2
Total 3 5 2
Women's Swimming
Representing the  Philippines
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 1954 Manila 100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1954 Manila 100 m butterfly
Gold medal – first place 1958 Tokyo 4 × 100 m medley relay
Silver medal – second place 1954 Manila 4 × 100 m freestyle relay
Silver medal – second place 1958 Tokyo 100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1958 Tokyo 200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1958 Tokyo 4 × 100 m freestyle relay
Silver medal – second place 1962 Jakarta 4 × 100 m freestyle relay
Bronze medal – third place 1962 Jakarta 100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 1962 Jakarta 4 × 100 m medley relay

Haydée Coloso-Espino (August 28, 1937 – August 12, 2021) was a Filipino swimmer who competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome as well as the Asian Games on three occasions.

Career

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Once dubbed as “Asia's Swim Queen,"[2] Coloso-Espino won a total of ten medals from the 1954 Asian Games, 1958 Asian Games and 1962 Asian Games. Of those medals, three were gold, five were silver, and two were bronze. Her gold medals came from the 100-meter freestyle and butterfly events.[3]

Coloso was just 16 years old when she won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 1954 Asian Games in Manila.[4][5] She came from behind to beat Japanese swimmers Tomiko Atarashi and Shizue Miyabe in the 100m freestyle final at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex pool.[4] She also led the hosts to a sweep of the 100m butterfly with Norma Yldefonso and Sandra von Giese taking the silver and bronze medals, respectively.[3] In the 4 x 100m freestyle relay, she teamed up with Sonia von Giese, Gertrudes Vito and Nimfa Lim to win the silver medal behind Japan.[4]

Following her outstanding performance at the 1954 Asiad, Coloso-Espino was a shoo-in to make the national team to the 1956 Summer Olympics. However, she became pregnant before the meet and had to take a time off from competitive swimming.[4]

She was chosen as Woman Swimmer of the Year for three consecutive years (1953, 1954 and 1955) by the Philippine Sportswriters Association.[6]

Coloso-Espino resumed her swimming career after giving birth and won four more medals at the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo.[5] She anchored the victorious 4 x 100m medley relay quartet that included Jocelyn von Giese, Victoria Cagayat and Sandra von Giese.[3] She also won silver medals in the 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle and 4 x 100m freestyle relay along with Victoria Cullen, Corazon Lozada and Gertrudes Lozada.[7]

Two years later, Coloso-Espino saw action in the 100m freestyle at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, but did not get past the heats.[1][8] She capped her swimming career by winning three more medals at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta.[5]

Retirement

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After her stint at the 1962 Asiad, Coloso-Espino retired from competitive swimming and became an educator. She briefly resided overseas but returned to her ancestral house in Iloilo to raise her seven children. She taught at the Far Eastern University, her alma mater, Lyceum of the Philippines and Araullo High School. She retired from teaching in 1993.[6]

Death

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On January 16, 2020, Coloso-Espino was admitted at the Medicus Medical Center in Iloilo, due to chronic respiratory infection.[6] She was able to recover from hospitalization but remained frail and asthmatic. Later confined in her residence in Mandurriao in Iloilo City, she died on August 12, 2021, sixteen days before her 84th birthday.

Legacy

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With ten medals (3 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze medals), Coloso-Espino holds the record for the most number of medals won by a Filipino athlete - male or female - in the Asian Games.[4][9]

She and fellow swimmer Jocelyn von Giese were the first Filipina athletes to win gold medals in the Asian Games. She is one of few Pinays to win at least three gold medals in the quadrennial multi-sport meet, along with sprinter Mona Sulaiman and bowler Bong Coo.[9]

In 2016, Coloso-Espino was inducted into the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame as part of the second batch of inductees.[10] She is the first Filipina swimmer to earn the accolade.

References

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  1. ^ a b Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Haydée Coloso Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  2. ^ "PH's greatest female swimmer dies at 83". ABS-CBN News. August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021. Haydee Coloso-Espino, considered as the Philippines' greatest female swimmer, passed away on Thursday. She was 83. Coloso-Espino, once nicknamed "Asia's Swim Queen," racked a total of 10 medals from the 1954 Asian Games, 1958 Asian Games and 1962 Asian Games.
  3. ^ a b c Alinea, Eddie G. “Pinay athletes highlight women empowerment in 2018 Asiad.” The Manila Times. January 3, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e Gahol, Lorenzo M. “Asia’s swim queen recalls glory days.” The Philippine Star. June 10, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "Olympians Who Won a Medal at the Asian Games". www.olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved August 17, 2021. Haydée Coloso|PHI|SWI|1960|3–5–2; 1954 Manila SWI gold: 100 m freestyle and 100 m butterfly, silver: 4×100 m freestyle relay; 1958 Tokyo SWI gold: 4×100 m medley relay, silver: 100 m freestyle, 200 m freestyle, and 4×100 m freestyle relay; 1962 Jakarta SWI silver: 4×100 m freestyle relay, bronze: 100 m freestyle and 4×100 m medley relay.
  6. ^ a b c "Asian Swim Queen needs help". The Philippine Star. February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  7. ^ "Greatest Pinay swimmer passes away". Manila Bulletin. August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  8. ^ "Haydée Coloso". www.olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Menor, Dominic (September 2, 2018). "Gold sweep in Indonesia part of long history of Pinay power at Asian Games". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  10. ^ “Torre heads Hall of Fame honorees.” The Philippine Star. January 19, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
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