Béla LAS TORRES

Béla von Las-Torres was from a noble Spanish family but they emigrated to Austria during the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 18th century. Von Las-Torres swam multiple events at both the 1908 and 1912 Olympics, winning a silver in the 4x200 freestyle relay in 1908. He won 18 Hungarian swimming titles, and in June 1912 swam 400 metres in 5:28.4 at a meet in Budapest to break the world record.

During World War I von Las-Torres served in the Austrian Air Force at the Kuk Lufttfahrtuppen Air Force Base. He earned the Sigum Laudis (Austrian Military Merit Medal) for his services during the war. During October 1915 von Las-Torres developed an attack of acute appendicitis, and never recovered, dying on 12 October 1915.