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Charles León Tamayo

Full name

Charles León Tamayo

Nickname(s)

Charlie

Born

(1981-01-02) 2 January 1981 (age 43)

Gymnastics career

Discipline

Men's artistic gymnastics

Country represented

Cuba

Years on national team

2001

Level

Senior International Elite
(Cuba national team)

Medal record

Representing Cuba

World Championships
	2001 Ghent	Vault
Pan American Games
	2003 Santo Domingo	Team
Pan American Championships
	2001 Cancún	Team
	2001 Cancún	Vault
	2001 Cancún	All-around
	2001 Cancún	Rings

Charles León Tamayo (born 2 January 1981) is a former Cuban male artistic gymnast. He is the 2001 World bronze medalist on vault and was part of the gold medal winning teams at the 2003 Pan American Games and 2001 Pan American Championships. He was one of three Cuban gymnasts who defected during the 2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

Early life

Tamayo began gymnastics when he was four years old.

Gymnastics career

Tamayo competed at the 2001 Pan American Championships where he helped Cuba place first as a team. Individually he won gold on vault and silver in the all-around and on rings behind compatriot Erick López. Later that year he competed at the 2001 World Championships where he won bronze on vault behind Marian Drăgulescu and Jevgēņijs Saproņenko. In doing so Tamayo became the first male gymnast from Cuba to win a medal at the World Championships.

Tamayo traveled to Anaheim, California to compete at the 2003 World Championships. Although he had a broken ankle, he still competed on all six events.

Tamayo has a move named after him: a "laid-out arabian double front on floor"; however he admits he did not invent the move, but because he was the first to compete it, he earned the naming rights.

Defection

Tamayo was frustrated with having to turn his prize winnings over to the federation and government and not being able to compete internationally as often due to budgetary constraints. He didn't see a way to build a future for himself and his family after his athletic career was over.

"I started seeing many, many Olympians who sell their Olympic medals because they have nothing. They give us a car for being Olympic champion but they don’t give us, like, gas"

After the qualification round of the 2003 World Championships, Tamayo, alongside two other Cuban gymnasts, defected to the United States.