Alejandra Benítez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alejandra Benítez |
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 7 July 1980 Caracas, Venezuela |
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| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 62 kg (137 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Fencing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weapon | Sabre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hand | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIE ranking | current ranking | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Alejandra Benítez Romero, born on July 7, 1980, is a talented fencer from Venezuela. She is known for her skill in sabre fencing, a type of fencing where athletes use a light cutting and thrusting sword. Alejandra has represented her country in four Olympic Games: 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016. She also served as the Minister of Sports for Venezuela in 2013.
Contents
Alejandra's Sports Journey
Starting Fencing
Alejandra Benítez grew up in a busy part of Caracas, Venezuela. She started fencing by chance when she was fifteen years old. An aunt suggested it, knowing a coach named Hildemaro Sánchez at the Central University of Venezuela. The national fencing team trained in the same hall. This inspired Alejandra to work hard and join them.
Besides fencing, Alejandra also enjoyed other activities. She practiced ballet, ornamental jumping, and judo. She also tried a bit of music, swimming, and volleyball.
Junior and Senior Competitions
In 1996, Alejandra joined Venezuela's national junior fencing team. She competed in the first-ever Junior World Championships for women's sabre in 1999. This event took place in Dijon, France. Her team won a gold medal in the team event. They beat strong teams from Italy, France, and Germany.
As a senior fencer, Alejandra qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She competed through a special tournament for athletes from the Americas. In Athens, she was defeated in her first match by Zhang Ying from China.
Winning Medals and Olympic Appearances
In 2005, Alejandra won the Havana World Cup. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2006 Pan American Fencing Championships in 2006. She repeated this achievement, winning bronze medals again in 2008 and 2013.
Alejandra qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She was one of the top two fencers from the Americas. After getting a bye (meaning she didn't have to fence in the first round), she lost to Bogna Jóźwiak from Poland.
The 2012 Summer Olympics was her third time at the Olympics. She won her first match against Lee Ra-jin from Korea. However, she then lost to Sofiya Velikaya, who was ranked second in the world at the time.
Alejandra's Role in Government
Becoming Minister of Sports
In 1999, Alejandra met Hugo Chávez, who was a very important political leader in Venezuela. She was impressed by him and supported him in several elections. She even appeared in a TV advertisement for his presidential campaign. After his passing, she was part of the honor guard at his funeral.
On March 22, 2013, Alejandra Benítez was appointed as the Minister of Sports. This was under the government of the newly elected president, Nicolás Maduro. She held this important position, helping to guide sports programs in Venezuela. In January 2014, she was replaced by Tony Álvarez, a singer and former baseball player.
See also
In Spanish: Alejandra Benítez para niños
