Men’s Epee added first Olympic Diploma for Venezuela in Paris 2024

Press release

***The team made up of the Limardo brothers, along with Gabriel Lugo, fell against Japan 39-33 and then beat Egypt 41-35***

The men’s epee team defeated Egypt 41-35 to take seventh place and earn the country’s first Olympic diploma.

Rubén, Francisco and Jesús Limardo, together with Gabriel Lugo, give fencing its fourth Olympic diploma in its history. The first two have three in their careers and the Limardo brothers are the first trio of brothers to compete for Venezuela in the most important event in the sport.

“Unhappy because we wanted to aim for the podium, but we know how sport works. It is like that, it is difficult. Some make it, others fall by the wayside. That is how it is. We have to review, correct and move forward. These are lessons learned,” said Francisco Limardo at the Grand Palais in Paris.

“The four top teams made it to the final. We fought Japan. We were close. We always had a score in our favor, but that’s fencing. Their four fencers are in the top 16 in the world. I feel proud of all the sacrifice we made. I feel very happy and proud of this team. This time it wasn’t in our favor,” analyzed Rubén Limardo about the first fight of the day against Japan (39-33 loss) that closed the path to the medals.

“It wasn’t what I expected, but that’s sport. You have to know how to win and how to lose. We arrived with good expectations but the good thing is that we die until the end. We die fighting, we never give up,” described Jesús Limardo who made his Olympic debut, “we are a very compact team. We don’t depend on one person. Throughout the cycle we have rotated. We are all very even,” he added.

“The odds were 50-50, because there are no favorites here. I think I represented my country with a lot of determination and energy. I gave everything I had on the track and I have to keep working,” said Grabiel Lugo.

After the defeat against Japan, it was Italy’s turn. The European team won 45-34 in the fight for fifth place. “I feel that the boys came in a little demoralized. I tried with my attitude and my fencing to show them that they will get up, but I think they were already hurt from the other fight,” said the London 2012 Olympic champion.

The final fight against the Africans was tied at 16 touches until the fourth fight. From then on, Venezuela did not lose another set, to secure seventh place: “I told them: ‘Now we’re going with Egypt, there are six fights left to finish the competition. Do your best six fights of your life, as if you were fighting a final, so that you close your process and leave with good feelings’ and that’s how the objective was achieved against Egypt,” said Rubén.

“Egypt is a strong team but the boys managed to control the score from the beginning. The strategy worked and we were able to win the match without any problems,” Francisco explained.

“This team will continue. I have a project, with which I want to take three or four more athletes, so that they can continue with this team to work towards Los Angeles. I hope that they continue to support me and we will continue to prepare as a national project,” concluded the eldest of the Limardo dynasty.