Ugo Frigerio
NationalityItalian
SportAthletics
EventRace walk
ClubUS Milanese
Birth date16 September 1901
Birth placeMilan, Italy
Death date7 July 1968 (aged 66)
Death placeGarda, Italy
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight55 kg (121 lb)
Pb
  • 10 km walk – 44:38.0 (1925)
  • 50 km walk – 4:59:06 (1932)
CountryItaly

Ugo Frigerio (16 September 1901 – 7 July 1968) was an Italian race walker. He competed in four events at the 1920, 1924 and 1932 Olympics, ranging from 3 to 50 km, and won three gold and one bronze medals.[1] He was the Olympic flag bearer for Italy in 1924 and 1932.[2]

Biography

Nationally Frigerio won nine race walking titles: in the 3 km (1921, 1922), 10 km (1919–1922, 1924, 1931), and one-hour walk (1920).[3]

Before the 3 km Olympic race in 1920 in Antwerp Frigerio gave pages of sheet music that he wanted to hear to the band playing at the competition venue. During the race he would scold the conductor when the band was deviating from its tempo, and chat to the public, which eventually began to cheer him.[4][5]

Frigerio won the British AAA Championships title in the 2 miles walk event at the British 1922 AAA Championships.[6][7][8]

Frigerio semi-retired after learning that race walking was excluded from the 1928 Summer Olympics. He resumed training in 1931 to prepare for the 1932 Games, where the only walking event was 50 km, five times longer than his favourite 10 km distance. He won a bronze medal and retired for good, becoming a sports administrator. In 1934, he wrote an autobiography titled Marciando nel nome dell’Italia (Walking in the Name of Italy).[5]

Olympic achievements

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventPerformanceNote
1920Olympic GamesAntwerp1st3 km walk13:14,2
1st10 km walk48:06.2
1924Olympic GamesParis1st10 km walk47:49.0
1932Olympic GamesLos Angeles3rd50 km walk4:59:06

See also

References

  1. ^ Ugo Frigerio. sports-reference.com
  2. ^ "Ugo Frigerio". Olympedia. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  3. ^ ""CAMPIONATI "ASSOLUTI" ITALIANI SUL PODIO TRICOLORE – 1906 2012". sportolimpico.it. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  4. ^ Athletics at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games: Men's 3,000 metres Walk. sports-reference.com
  5. ^ UGO FRIGERIO, TRIPLE OLYMPIC WALKING GOLD MEDALLIST. vrwc.org.au
  6. ^ "AAA Championships". Daily Mirror. 1 July 1922. Retrieved 1 December 2024. – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Athletic Championships". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 3 July 1922. Retrieved 1 December 2024. – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved 1 December 2024.