Manuel Dionisio Díaz Delgado

Cuban Olympic Champion in Saber at the III Olympiad of Saint Louis 1904

He was the second Cuban to proclaim himself Olympic Champion, forming part of that legendary fencing team captained by Ramón Fonst that won fencing at the III Olympiad of Saint Louis, United States.

Less recognized by today's Cubans, this Havana native learned his first fencing lessons at the Club Gimnástico de La Habana and perfected his skills in the United States during his student years, several times champion in fencing tournaments in that country and épée champion in 1899.

An engineer by profession, he was in the city of Saint Louis for the world exposition parallel to the Olympiad and joined Fonst's team to win the individual saber title and gold in team saber and foil. In the competition for the Olympic title he defeated Willian Grebe, considered the best saber fencer in the world, completing the feat that the great Ramón Fonst began in those Olympic Games.

He died in New York, victim of a heart attack.