Rubén Limardo
Rubén Dario Limardo Gascón (born August 3, 1985) is a Venezuelan épée fencer. Limardo won a gold medal for his native country at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the individual épée competition. Five years earlier, he won the gold medal in the individual épée competition at the 2007 Pan American Games. His younger brother, Francisco, also competes in fencing on the international level. In 2015 he was elected to the National Assembly for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.[1]
Olympics
Born in Ciudad Bolívar, Limardo competed for his native country in the 2008 Olympics épée competition, placing 23rd.
Limardo competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London winning a gold medal in the individual épée event at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre on 1 August, two days before his 27th birthday.[2] He won the gold when he defeated Norway's Bartosz Piasecki 15–10 in the men's épée final, winning Venezuela's first ever fencing medal, and Latin America's first Olympic gold medal in épée in 108 years, after Ramón Fonst won the event in 1904.[3]
Limardo earned Venezuela's second gold medal in any Olympic Games with the first being at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games when Francisco Rodríguez won gold as a boxer in the light flyweight division.[4]
He competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in the individual épée and the team épée competition. In the individual event, he was defeated by Ayman Mohamed Fayez of Egypt during the round of 32.[5] He was the flagbearer for Venezuela during the opening ceremony.[6]
World Fencing Championships Budapest 2013
Limardo won a silver medal on August 8, 2013, at the World Fencing Championships in Budapest, Hungary by beating in semi-finals Swiss Fabian Kauter, number six in the world ranking.[7]
Fencing background
Limardo began fencing at the age of seven, encouraged by an uncle who had discovered the sport in Hungary.[8] He was originally a right-handed foil fencer before injury caused him to switch both hand and weapon.[8]
He was awarded the Venezuelan Order of the Liberator after winning his gold medal at the London Olympic Games. President Hugo Chávez also presented him with a gold replica of Simon Bolivar's sword encrusted with precious stones.[9]
His brother Jesús Limardo also competes in fencing competitions. He has been a member of Piast Gliwice fencing club and currently resides in Łódź, Poland.[10][11]
References
- ^ El País https://elpais.com/deportes/2016/08/05/actualidad/1470352615_048688. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "London Olympics: Venezuela win first gold since 1968". The Times of India. 2012-08-02. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
- ^ "Venezuela wins first gold since 1968". Reuters. 2012-08-01. Retrieved 2012-08-02.[dead link]
- ^ "Fencer Ruben Limardo returns to hero's welcome in Venezuela". NBC Olympics. 2012-08-07. Archived from the original on August 17, 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
- ^ "Rio 2016". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-08-26. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
- ^ "The Flagbearers for the Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony". 2016-08-16. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
- ^ "Ruben Limardo qualified to World Fencing Championship final". 2013-08-08. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
- ^ a b "Ruben Limardo Biography". fie.org. FIE. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
- ^ "Chavez gives symbolic sword to Venezuela fencer". NewsOK. 2012-08-07. Retrieved 2017-01-20 – via Associated Press.
- ^ "Szpadzista Piasta Gliwice Mistrzem Olimpijskim!". Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ "Kryzys i pandemia. Mistrz olimpijski z Londynu, Ruben Limardo, rozwozi jedzenie... w Łodzi". Retrieved 12 November 2020.
External links
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- 1985 births
- Living people
- People from Ciudad Bolívar
- Venezuelan épée fencers
- Venezuelan male fencers
- Olympic fencers of Venezuela
- Fencers at the 2007 Pan American Games
- Fencers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Fencers at the 2011 Pan American Games
- Fencers at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Fencers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Olympic gold medalists for Venezuela
- Olympic medalists in fencing
- Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Pan American Games gold medalists for Venezuela
- Pan American Games silver medalists for Venezuela
- Pan American Games medalists in fencing
- Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Venezuela
- Central American and Caribbean Games silver medalists for Venezuela
- Central American and Caribbean Games bronze medalists for Venezuela
- Competitors at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games
- Competitors at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
- South American Games gold medalists for Venezuela
- South American Games medalists in fencing
- Competitors at the 2010 South American Games
- Fencers at the 2019 Pan American Games
- Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in fencing
- World Fencing Championships medalists
- Medalists at the 2019 Pan American Games
- Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games