Ugo Frigerio
Toronto Daily Star, January 1 1923
Ugo Frigerio (1901-1968) won the gold medal in the 3 km and 10 km walks at the 1920 Olympics and won the 10 km walk at the 1924 Olympics. The 1928 Olympics did not include walking competitions, which caused Frigerio to go into semi-retirement. The 1932 Games included a 50 km walk; Frigerio resumed training for that and wound up finishing third. He then retired for good and became a sports administrator.
Wikipedia claims that, before the 3 km race, Frigerio gave sheet music to the Olympics band and lectured them mid-race when they deviated from its tempo. Presumably, he was using the music as a guide to the correct walking cadence, or maybe he just wanted something to listen to while competing.
Created October 14, 2025.