Julio César León

Julio César León (born February 2, 1925 in Trujillo ) is a former cyclist from Venezuela .

Julio César León was the first athlete from Venezuela to compete in the Olympic Games : He competed in two cycling disciplines at the 1948 Olympic Games in London . In the 1000 meter time trial he finished 14th (out of 21), in the sprint he was eliminated in the second round against the Italian Mario Ghella , who later won the gold medal. León was also the only starter from Venezuela in 1948.

For León, taking part in the Games in London was an experience in several ways: Before taking part in the track competitions in Herne Hill , he had never seen a velodrome . He also watched television for the first time in his life while in England .

León also competed in world championships and for a short time drove for the Bianchi team in Italy, of which Fausto Coppi was the captain . He then returned to Venezuela to study mechanical engineering . He continued to race and won numerous national titles in 25 years.

In 2008 Julio César León was invited to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing , on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of his Olympic start. He will travel to the 2012 Olympic Games in London as a member of the Venezuelan delegation and also take part in the opening ceremony.

Web links

• Julio César León in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )
• Representing Venezuela at London 1948 was a dream come true on london2012.com v. August 31, 2011 (Engl.)
• Julio César León: eterno campeón del ciclismo on solodeportes.com v. February 10, 2010 (span.)