| "> | | | | seventh place in the 200m freestyle. In October of that |
| Jorge Delgado: Passion, Discipline and Talent | | | | year, this athlete swam a new continental record time |
| With the exception of Jefferson Pérez (Olympic | | | | of 1:55, 45 to win the men's 200m freestyle final, ahead |
| champ in 1996), Andres Gomez (French Open tennis | | | | of Rick DeMont and Rex Favero (both Americans), at |
| champ), Osvaldo Guayasamin (painter), few | | | | the 7th Pan American Games in the United Mexican |
| Ecuadorans are better known internationally than | | | | States; his second Pan American title. In Mexico City, |
| Jorge Delgado Panchana. | | | | he also captured a bronze medal. |
| During the South American Swimming Championship, | | | | Guayaquil 1982 |
| which was held in Arica (Chile) in the early 1970s, | | | | In his second Olympics in July 1976, Delgado, an |
| Ecuador's swimmer Jorge Delgado came to | | | | American-trained athlete, was one of Latin American's |
| international attention when he picked up a total of | | | | most respected swimmers. Prior to July, he picked up |
| eight medals (5 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze). In Arica, | | | | a total of four gold medals in the South American |
| Delgado, 17, beat Juan Carlos "Johnny" Bello, a sporting | | | | Championships in Maldonado, Uruguay. During the |
| legend in Peru and Latin America. Without a doubt, he | | | | course of the tournament, he also established two |
| was Bello's successor. Some years ago, at a meet in | | | | continental records. |
| the United States, Bello had defeated Mark Spitz, who | | | | His brilliant career ended with his retirement in 1978 |
| won seven 1972 Olympic golds. | | | | when the national team, under the tutelage of Jack |
| Munich 1972 | | | | Nelson (one of America's most high profile coaches), |
| Delgado's victory in Chile was the beginning of a | | | | won the South American Tournament in Guayaquil, |
| streak that continue into the following decade. Prior to | | | | Ecuador's largest city. With passion, discipline and talent, |
| the 1972 Munich Olympics, he took first place in the | | | | the team of Ecuador had dominated the event, being |
| men's 200m butterfly at the Pan American Games in | | | | followed by Brazil, which had not lost a continental |
| Cali (Colombia). Delgado's time broke the Pan | | | | tournament since the 1960s. Inspired by the visiting |
| American record of 2:06. 42 set by Mark Spitz (USA) | | | | American Olympic champ John Naber, Delgado -a |
| in 1967. At the XX Olympiad in Munich (West | | | | Guayaquil-born swimmer- was one of the most |
| Germany), he was agonisingly close to winning a 200m | | | | successful athletes in the international event. The |
| butterfly bronze medal (among 39 swimmers from 27 | | | | following year, by 1979, he was named as one of the |
| countries of the world). Later that time, he captured | | | | best athletes of Latin America. Three years later, |
| many medals in the South American Tournament in | | | | surprisingly, Guayaquil was home to the FINA World |
| Medellin (Colombia). | | | | Championships. This global event was a tribute to |
| At the FINA World Championships, which was held in | | | | Jorge Delgado Panchana, the most popular national |
| Cali (Colombia), by July 1975, Ecuador's idol Delgado | | | | athlete until 1996 and one of Latin America's finest |
| qualified in three individual events. He finished fifth in the | | | | swimmers in the latter half of the 2oth century. A |
| men's 100m and 200m butterfly. In addition, he came in | | | | great champion! |