JACINTO “Jack” Cayco, a former Olympian who is well-loved in the Philippine swimming community, passed away on Wednesday.
He was 96 years old.
A retired swimmer and competition official, Cayco was enshrined to the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame on January 25, 2016.
Cayco’s career highlights included competing in the 1948 London Olympics where he finished in 18th place in the 200-meter breaststroke.
He won two gold medals for the Philippines in the 1951 Asian Games in New Delhi, ruling the 200-meter breaststroke and in the 3×100 medley relay events.
Cayco was the country’s captain in the 1954 Asian Games in Manila and earned a silver medal in the 400-meter medley relay in the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo.
After his retirement, Cayco remained a visible figure in collegiate and national federation-organized swimming competitions as a referee and stroke judge.
Cayco, who was a member of University of Santo Tomas swimming team in the UAAP, was well-respected by the swimmers for being kind hearted and humble
