Career
As a 16-year-old at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Mestre competed in the qualifying heats of the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle events, but he did not advance. Three years later, Mestre enjoyed significant success at the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas. Married Adriana Vivas, and has two children Alberto and Alfonso Mestre, both competitive swimmers.
After the 1983 Pan American Games, Mestre enrolled in the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he trained with coach Randy Reese and swam for the Florida Gators swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (National Collegiate Athletic Association) competition from 1983 to 1986.
Mestre received seventeen All-American honors in four years. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor"s degree in exercise and sport science in 1987, and was later inducted in the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Mestre again competed in the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle, advancing to the finals in both events, and finishing sixth and fifth, respectively.