Leonel Ruiz

The international career of Venezuelan heavyweight judoka Leonel Ruiz spanned the best part of a decade, with him winning multiple medals in competitions across Central and South America. In 1998 Ruiz won silver in the +100 kg event at the Central American and Caribbean Games, losing to Ángel Sánchez (CUB) in the final. He then won gold in the +100 kg at the 2004 Pan American Judo Championships to earn himself a place on the Olympic team. At the Athina Games, however, he lost his opening bout to Charis Papaioannou (GRE) in just one minute to be eliminated.

Ruiz continued to compete for a few more years, winning silver in the +100 kg at the 2005 Bolivarian Games, before winning an individual and team bronze one year later at the Central American and Caribbean Games. His final international medal came later the same year with a team silver at the South American Games in Buenos Aires. Ruiz was only 49-years-old when he died in April 2025.