Rafael Lecuona

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameRafael Argelio•Lecuona Asencio
Used nameRafael•Lecuona
Born2 June 1928 in La Habana (Havana), Ciudad de La Habana (CUB)
Died7 June 2014 in San Antonio, Texas (USA)
AffiliationsFlorida State Seminoles, Tallahassee (USA)
NOC Cuba

Biography

Rafael Lecuona competed in three Olympics for Cuba as a gymnast, those of 1948-56. He also starred for the Cuban gymnastics team at the Pan American Games, winning a gold medal in the 1951 pommelled horse, and six silver medals in 1951-55 – 1951 all-around, vault, rings, and team; and 1955 pommelled horse and team. At the 1951 Pan American Games Lecuona became friendly with American gymnast Bill Roetzheim, which led to Lecuona receiving a scholarship to Florida State, where he starred on the gymnastics team from 1953-56. He captained the team in 1955-56, led Florida State to the national championship, and was named All-American on the pommelled horse.

After Castro’s takeover of Cuba, Lecuona developed an interest in politics and earned a masters’ degree in that field in 1968 and a PhD in 1970. In 1970 he also left Cuba, emigrating to the United States with his family, settling in Laredo, Texas. Lecuona became a professor of international studies at Texas A&I University (later Texas A&M International), teaching at that school for 32 years. He was the first chairman of arts & sciences at Texas A&I.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1948 Summer Olympics Artistic Gymnastics (Gymnastics) CUB Rafael Lecuona
Individual All-Around, Men (Olympic) 81
Team All-Around, Men (Olympic) Cuba 14
Floor Exercise, Men (Olympic) 93
Horse Vault, Men (Olympic) =79
Parallel Bars, Men (Olympic) =79
Horizontal Bar, Men (Olympic) 94
Rings, Men (Olympic) 85
Pommelled Horse, Men (Olympic) =53
1952 Summer Olympics Artistic Gymnastics (Gymnastics) CUB Rafael Lecuona
Individual All-Around, Men (Olympic) 116
Floor Exercise, Men (Olympic) 147
Horse Vault, Men (Olympic) 150
Parallel Bars, Men (Olympic) 144
Horizontal Bar, Men (Olympic) =106
Rings, Men (Olympic) =121
Pommelled Horse, Men (Olympic) =77
1956 Summer Olympics Artistic Gymnastics (Gymnastics) CUB Rafael Lecuona
Individual All-Around, Men (Olympic) 52
Floor Exercise, Men (Olympic) 55
Horse Vault, Men (Olympic) 55
Parallel Bars, Men (Olympic) 52
Horizontal Bar, Men (Olympic) 55
Rings, Men (Olympic) 50
Pommelled Horse, Men (Olympic) =33

Olympic family relations

Special Notes