Because Aruba became independent from the other Netherlands Antilles only in 1986, Austin Thomas was nearly 50 years old when he got his first chance to fence at the Olympic Games in 1988, despite his lengthy career in the sport. At the Games he finished 58th out of 68 competitors in the individual foil event and 70th out of 79 entrants in the épée tournament. He was a long-time president of the Aruba Fencing Federation and did much to promote the sport in his home country, serving until his death in May 2018.
Aruba