Cuban Ramon Fonst increases his feat at St. Louis 1904 (II)

Cuban fencer Ramon Fonst increased Cuba's medal list in the Olympic Games with outstanding performances in the foil and epee events in the 3rd edition of St. Louis 1904.

After winning gold and silver medals in the epee in the previous event (Paris 1900), the performance of the outstanding Cuban sportsman, the first Olympic champion from Latin America, made himself known again at the U.S. city.

Thus, Fonst became the only fencer in the history of the Games, to this day, who has won two gold medals in this modality.

His quality was reported in newspapers of the time. "Yesterday, the seventh day, the foil and epee tournaments were held before an enormous crowd, and in the midst of the greatest expectation. In both the wonderful Ramón Fonst was the winner".

"In the sword tournament, each round was decided at the first button stroke. Post, champion of the USA, and Fonst, touched all their opponents. The round between both victorious champions in that tournament, was held before the emotion of the spectators, because the championship depended on a single blow".

"Put on guard the combatants, in the midst of a sepulchral silence, remained measuring each other with their eyes for two minutes. The expectation was solemn. Suddenly, the young Fonst gives a tiger-like leap and touches Post in the middle of the chest".

"Ramon Fonst was not touched once in either tournament."

"The name of Cuba, and the Cuban, is currently the most popular among U.S. people. There is no talk of anything else in the exhibition but of the remarkable triumph of the 22-year-old Cuban fencer."

Fonst also won the gold medal in the foil team épée, along with Manuel Dionisio Díaz and Albertson Van Zo Post, his victim in the individual epee competition for the United States.

But those were not Cuba's only medals in those Games, as Diaz won first place in individual sabre, a result with which the Cubans won all the individual fencing titles in dispute.

The island also participated in athletics, with marathon runner Felix Carvajal, better known as El Andarin Carvajal, who is said to have won a medal had it not been for a bad digestion.

Details of the race indicate that: "The race started, and to the surprise of those present, El Andarin took the lead. After 30 kilometers, he was still in front, but Carvajal, who was hungry and did not have assistants to feed him like the other runners, stopped in front of a tree to eat green apples".

" Big mistake. The ingestion of that fruit gave him a strong colitis that definitely relegated him to fourth place".