Manuel Sanguily

After a career as a champion swimmer in Cuba, Manuel Sanguily moved to the United States to work as a doctor. Sanguily’s long medical career came to an ignominious end following his involvement in large-scale prescription fraud.

Sanguily swam in the 200 metres breaststroke at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, but failed to advance from his heat. Four years later at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics he had better success with a seventh-place finish in the final of the same event. Sanguily was also the flagbearer for Cuba at the Opening Ceremony of the Melbourne Games.

At the 1954 Central American and Caribbean Games Sanguily won gold in the 200 metres breaststroke and silver in the 200 metres butterfly. Sanguily also won two medals in the breaststroke at the Pan American Games, the first being a silver in Mexico City in 1955, and the second being a bronze at the 1959 Games in Chicago.

Sanguily studied at the La Habana Medical School in Cuba until it was closed by Fidel Castro. As a result he moved to the United States where he studied medicine at Ohio State University before working at a practice in Circleville, Ohio. In 1967 Sanguily moved to Tarrytown, New York, where he worked in a private practice. His career came to an end in August 2010, however, when he was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a large-scale prescription fraud. Sanguily died in November 2022 due to complications from COVID-19.