Golden debut for Cuba at the Olympic Games (I)

 

Although the modern Olympic Games began in Athens in 1896, Cuba made its debut four years later in Paris, where fencer Ramon Fonst won the first gold medal for Latin America.

Although Chile has the honor of being the first Latin American country to participate in an Olympic event (Athens 1896), it was the Caribbean nation that opened the medal standings, with the masterful performance of Fonst, who defeated famous fencers.

But the outstanding athlete not only deserved the top medal in that weapon, he also won the silver medal in the individual épée between masters and amateurs, a competition in which his teacher Albert Ayat defeated him in a close dispute for the gold medal.

Fonst was born in Havana on August 31, 1883 and before he was 10 years old he was taken to Paris, where he performed in several disciplines, including boxing and one that was very popular in France at that time, savate, a modality in which both hands and feet were used.

In the latter, he received titles and trophies from prestigious sports societies in the City of Light, London and Brussels, the Société des Salvatores in Paris and the College of Saint Charles in Monte Carlo.

At that time he also dedicated himself to shooting, in the specialties of pistol and revolver, in which he obtained 44 first places in one year.

However, his love for the sport of fencing led him to fencing, in which he won the most important awards of his fruitful sporting life, among them that of world epee champion in 1899.

Undoubtedly, a brilliant athlete who once again became the main protagonist of Cuba's Olympic medals in the III Games of St. Louis (United States), in 1904.

This 2nd edition of Paris was held from May 20 to October 28, with the participation of 1,225 athletes - 1,206 men and 19 women - representing 26 countries in 17 sports and 166 specialties.