Venezuelan Olympic Pioneer Julio César León celebrates his 100th birthday

Julio César León, the first Venezuelan athlete to compete at the Olympic Games (London 1948), celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday, February 2. The nation paid tribute to the legendary cyclist with taxes around the world of sport.

«It’s 100 years and … then 100 more come!» León joked at a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Venezuelan Olympic Committee (COV) in Caracas. It was received by a bicycle hall, formed by iconic Venezuelan cyclists such as José Rujano and the BMX Olympic medalist Stefany Hernández.

«I am very grateful,» said an excited lion, proudly stating that it is an «example for other Venezuelans, like me, to go far.»

León, sitting in a wheelchair and dressed in a sports jacket with the colors of the flag of Venezuela, was surrounded by relatives. Born on February 2, 1925 in the Andean state of Trujillo, León made history at the 1948 London Olympic Games, at the end of the fourteenth place in the track cycling test of one kilometer counterreloj. He had previously won national championships in 1941, 1942 and 1943.

«When I count my story, start with a name: Julio César León,» said Hernández, winner of the Bronze Medal in Rio de Janeiro 2016, during a speech at the COV event. «You are a legend, Julio César,» he added.

«I want to thank him for what he means for our sport,» said Rujano, one of the first three finalists in the 2005 Giro and four times champion of the Táchira, the most prestigious cycling race in Venezuela.

León watched as they presented a cake decorated with the silhouette of a cyclist in a velodrome and the inscription «100 years» next to a gold medal. Attendees sang «happy birthday.»

The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, sent a letter praising the «legacy for future generations» left by León.

«This birthday is, without a doubt, a reason for joy for the Olympic family,» Bach wrote in La Carta, who was read by the president of the COV, María Soto, at the ceremony.