Ruben Limardo (centre) of Venezuela, Olympic gold medal winner in fencing at the 2012 London Games poses for a picture with his coach and maternal uncle Ruperto Gaecon, and cousin’s sister Maria Gabriela Martinez, during the Qatar 2013 Fencing Grand Prix and World Cup at Aspire Academy yesterday. Limardo has been coaching his nephew and niece since childhood in Bolivar state of Venezuela. Martinez, also took part in the London Olympics, while Gaecon was coach to both of them. RIGHT: Bahrain’s Mohamed Ali (left) and Qatar’s Abdullah Sayyari in action. PICTURES BY: KAMMUTTY VP
by Armstrong Vas
Doha: Ruben Limardo’s ‘life has changed’ ever since he ended Venezuela’s 44 year gold drought at last year’s London Olympics.
The 26-year-old won the men’s individual epee to earn Venezuela only their second Olympic gold medal ever.
For the last five months the Olympic gold medallist is a much after sought after man for TV endorsements in Venezuela.
“Earlier my life was relaxed. But now life is hectic, many companies want me to endorse their products, so I have become the new face which is in demand in Venezuela,” said the 26-year-old, who is in Qatar for the Qatar 2013 Fencing Grand Prix and World Cup by Qatar Fencing Federation (QFF).
The four-day championship is simultaneously held at Aspire Academy and the Gate mall.
Around 240 players from 45 countries are vying for the top prize in the men’s and women’s section besides the women’s team event.
“I came here to seek the gold medal. This is something I have eyed since I was a kid and today I achieved my goal, together with the whole Venezuela,” Limardo had said after winning the gold medal.
The last gold medal for Venezuela came from Francisco “Morochito” Rodriguez who won gold for Venezuela in the 1968 games.
The record breaking athlete said fencing was an ‘unknown’ sport in Venezuela but ever since he won gold at the London Games people want to know more about the sport.
“When I won gold in London, People knew Limardo has won an Olympic medal for the country, but fencing, what fencing, they used to say to me. People in Venezuela know more about baseball and football, so fencing as a sport was an entirely alien thing for them,” said the top seed of the Qatar tournament.
“The other problem with fencing is that it is at an amateur stage in Venezuela and not professional.”
But the face of fencing is set for change in the coming four to ten years with government pumping funds into fencing ever since Limardo’s Olympics feat.
“The government has allotted lot of funds for fencing and we will see the change at the next Olympics in Rio in 2016. Now people are ready to help fencing and it is not just me, whose life has changed after Olympics. My coach, physio lives have all changed after the gold in London” said Limardo, who dedicated his gold medal to his mother Noris Gazcon, who led her son to fencing but died of cancer two years ago.
Limardo initiation to fencing was through a quirk circumstances, informed his uncle and coach Ruperto Gaecon.
“I studied physical education in Kiev, now in Ukraine but which earlier formed part of Soviet Union, when I returned to my Venezuela after spending six years from 1986 to 1992 I had to think what I will do, where will I train with the boys. It is then my sister suggested training her four sons. And, I am proud that all of them represented the country and one of them is an Olympic champion,” said Gaecon.
Gaecon said the period after the death of his sister was the most painful for the entire family and more so for Limardo.
“Yes, the phase after the passing away of my sister affected my nephew, He was crest fallen but we motivated him. We told him that a medal at the Games will be the great tribute for his mother. And we are glad he took it up as a challenge and lived up to it,” said Gaecon. Limardo received a hero’s welcome in Venezuela and President Hugo Chavez gave a replica of South American independence hero Simon Bolivar’s sword to Venezuelan fencer Ruben Limardo for winning a gold medal at the Games.
Bolivar’s sword is a solid-gold saber encrusted with more than 1,000 diamonds, rubies and other precious stones. Chavez has given other gold-plated replicas to Cuba’s Fidel Castro and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. THE PENINSULA
