Diego Lizardi
Encyclopedia
Diego Lizardi Marcial was a Puerto Rican
athlete specialized in gymnastics
. During his career, Lizardi represented Puerto Rico
in several international tournaments including two Summer Olympic Games
.
On February 21, 2008, Lizardi died in a car accident
when his car struck a parked truck on the back. The circumstances of the accident are still being investigated.
. Later, he studied at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico
in Hato Rey
.
He started rising as a gifted gymnast winning several national championships in "All Around" competitions. From 1988 to 2001, he gathered 13 championships in various levels.
In 1990, Lizardi participated in his first international competition at the 1990 Central American and Caribbean
Games held in Mexico
. The Puerto Rican team rose in this tournament with the bronze medal
. In 1993, he rose with the silver medal
at the same tournament, this time held at Ponce, Puerto Rico
. He also has won 9 world championships during this period.
In 1996, he participated at the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta, finishing at the 64th spot. He participated again at the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney, Australia.
In 2003, he was selected as Puerto Rico
's flag bearer for the 2003 Pan American Games
held at Santo Domingo
, Dominican Republic
.
After retiring as a competitive athlete, Lizardi continued collaborating with the Puerto Rico Gymnastics Federation while he created private gymnastics training centers throughout Puerto Rico.
Lizardi died February 21, 2008, in a late night car accident when his car struck a parked truck. At the time, he was working to open another gymnastics school for kids in Puerto Rico's third largest city, Ponce.
Hundreds of Puerto Ricans attended funeral services at the Puerto Rico Olympic Headquarters in Old San Juan where, in the presence of Lizardi's widow and parents, acting Governor Fernando Bonilla
declared him to be Puerto Rico's "Eternal Standard-Bearer" ("El Eterno Abanderado") and then Puerto Rico Senate President Kenneth McClintock
made a commitment to appropriate the funds necessary to hold the International Gymnastics Competition that Lizardi proposed to hold in 2009 in San Juan in his last conversation with McClintock's wife, San Juan Sports and Recreation Director María Elena Batista
. Then Sports and Recreation Secretary David Bernier seconded the senator's proposal. Lizardi's body was later cremated.
In June, 2008, at the request of Senate of Puerto Rico
President Kenneth McClintock
, Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Migdalia Padilla and former Senate President Antonio Fas Alzamora
, the Puerto Rico Legislature appropriated $25,000 for a statue of Diego Lizardi to be placed at the Puerto Rico Sports Museum in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
.
Pan American Games
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
athlete specialized in gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
. During his career, Lizardi represented Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
in several international tournaments including two Summer Olympic Games
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
.
On February 21, 2008, Lizardi died in a car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
when his car struck a parked truck on the back. The circumstances of the accident are still being investigated.
Biography
Diego Lizardi Marcial was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico. In 1981, while 6 years old, he started studying at the Gymnastic School in CupeySubdivisions of San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan is subdivided into 18 districts , 16 of which fall within the former municipio of Rio Piedras. 8 “barrios” are further subdivided in to “sub-barrios”, including both “barrios” of the former municipio of San Juan:...
. Later, he studied at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico
Interamerican University of Puerto Rico
The Inter American University of Puerto Rico —or Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico in Spanish, and often referred as "Inter"— is a private university system in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1912 in San German, Puerto Rico. The University has campuses in Aguadilla, Arecibo, Barranquitas,...
in Hato Rey
Hato Rey, Puerto Rico
Hato Rey is a former ward located in the northwest part of the dissolved municipality of Río Piedras. It now stretches over three wards of the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico:*Hato Rey Central*Hato Rey Norte*Hato Rey Sur...
.
He started rising as a gifted gymnast winning several national championships in "All Around" competitions. From 1988 to 2001, he gathered 13 championships in various levels.
In 1990, Lizardi participated in his first international competition at the 1990 Central American and Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
Games held in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The Puerto Rican team rose in this tournament with the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
. In 1993, he rose with the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
at the same tournament, this time held at Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
. He also has won 9 world championships during this period.
In 1996, he participated at the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta, finishing at the 64th spot. He participated again at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney, Australia.
In 2003, he was selected as Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
's flag bearer for the 2003 Pan American Games
2003 Pan American Games
The 14th Pan American Games were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from 1 to 17 August 2003. The successful bid for the games was made in the mid-1990s, when this country had one of the highest growth rates in Latin America....
held at Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
.
After retiring as a competitive athlete, Lizardi continued collaborating with the Puerto Rico Gymnastics Federation while he created private gymnastics training centers throughout Puerto Rico.
Lizardi died February 21, 2008, in a late night car accident when his car struck a parked truck. At the time, he was working to open another gymnastics school for kids in Puerto Rico's third largest city, Ponce.
Hundreds of Puerto Ricans attended funeral services at the Puerto Rico Olympic Headquarters in Old San Juan where, in the presence of Lizardi's widow and parents, acting Governor Fernando Bonilla
Fernando Bonilla
Fernando J. Bonilla is a Puerto Rican political figure and served as the 21st Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Bonilla also served as the Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority....
declared him to be Puerto Rico's "Eternal Standard-Bearer" ("El Eterno Abanderado") and then Puerto Rico Senate President Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
made a commitment to appropriate the funds necessary to hold the International Gymnastics Competition that Lizardi proposed to hold in 2009 in San Juan in his last conversation with McClintock's wife, San Juan Sports and Recreation Director María Elena Batista
María Elena Batista
María Elena Batista currently is a sports administrator in Puerto Rico. As the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico's Director of Sports and Recreation since January, 2001, she helped revive the previously underused and dilapidated Hiram Bithorn Stadium, attracting MLB's Opening Day Game in 2001,...
. Then Sports and Recreation Secretary David Bernier seconded the senator's proposal. Lizardi's body was later cremated.
In June, 2008, at the request of Senate of Puerto Rico
Senate of Puerto Rico
The Senate of Puerto Rico is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate is composed of 27 senators, representing eight constituent senatorial districts across the commonwealth, with two senators elected per district; an...
President Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
, Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Migdalia Padilla and former Senate President Antonio Fas Alzamora
Antonio Fas Alzamora
Antonio "Tony" Fas Alzamora is a Puerto Rican politician and Senator. He is currently the longest-serving member of the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly, having served as Senator since 1976...
, the Puerto Rico Legislature appropriated $25,000 for a statue of Diego Lizardi to be placed at the Puerto Rico Sports Museum in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Guaynabo is a municipality in the northern part of Puerto Rico, located in the northern coast of the island, north of Aguas Buenas; south of Cataño; east of Bayamón; and west of San Juan...
.
Central American and Caribbean Games
- MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
1990 - Bronze with team - PoncePonce, Puerto RicoPonce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
1993 - Silver in Floor exerciseFloor (gymnastics)In gymnastics, the floor refers to a specially prepared exercise surface, which is considered an apparatus. It is used by both male and female gymnasts. The event in gymnastics performed on floor is called floor exercise. The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is FX.A spring... - MaracaiboMaracaiboMaracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state...
1998 - Gold in Still ringsRings (gymnastics)The rings, also known as still rings , is an artistic gymnastics apparatus and the event that uses it. It is traditionally used only by male gymnasts, due to its extreme upper-body strength requirements...
Pan American GamesPan American GamesThe Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
- Cuba 19911991 Pan American GamesThe 11th Pan American Games were held in Havana, Cuba from August 2 to August 18, 1991. There were a total number of 4,519 athletes from 39 countries of the PASO community, with events held in 32 different sports...
- Fourth place with team - Winnipeg 19991999 Pan American GamesThe 1999 Pan American Games, officially the XIII Pan American Games or the 13th Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event that was held from July 23-August 8, 1999 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Approximately 5,000 athletes from 42 nations participated at the games. The 1999...
- Bronze in Still rings
International Cup
- San JuanSan Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
1997 - First place in Still rings, Floor, and "All Around"
External links
- USA Gymnastics International Athlete Biography
- Lizardi's Career
- News about his death at Yahoo!Yahoo!Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
- News about his death at Primera Hora