Alejandra Benítez

{{Infobox fencer

| name = Alejandra Benítez

| image = Alejandra Benitez 2014-15 Orleans WC teams t095340.jpg

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|7|7|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Caracas, Venezuela

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| height = {{convert|1.69|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|62|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| weapon = Sabre

| hand = Right-handed

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| fieranking = [https://fie.org/athletes/8745 current ranking]

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{{MedalCountry | {{VEN}}}}

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Alejandra Benítez Romero (born 7 July 1980) is a Venezuelan sabre fencer, who competed at the 2004, 2008, 2012 and the 2016 Summer Olympics.{{cite magazine |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2008/results/FEW003.html |title=2008 Summer Olympics Results |access-date=24 June 2012 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |archive-date=12 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912122044/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2008/results/FEW003.html |url-status=dead }}[http://www.el-nacional.com/noticia/32072/2/Alejandra-Benitez-es-la-venezolana-33-en-clasificar-a-Londres.html Alejandra Benítez es la venezolana 33 en clasificar a Londres] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504183003/http://www.el-nacional.com/noticia/32072/2/Alejandra-Benitez-es-la-venezolana-33-en-clasificar-a-Londres.html |date=4 May 2012 }} She was minister of sports in 2013

Sports career

Benítez was born in a popular parish Antímano Caracas district. She began fencing accidentally at the age of fifteen years old on the suggestion and good reference of one of her aunts, who knew coach Hildemaro Sánchez at the Central University of Venezuela.{{cite web|url=http://www.gigantesenaccion.com/noticias.php?tipo=Columna&id=1329|title=Alejandra Benítez: sablista de oro|publisher=Fundación Gigantes en Acción|date=20 July 2011|language=Spanish|access-date=3 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402132305/http://www.gigantesenaccion.com/noticias.php?tipo=Columna&id=1329|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=dead}} The national Venezuelan team trained in the same fencing hall, which inspired her to work hard to join them. Besides fencing, Benítez also practiced ballet, ornamentals jumper, judo, and a little bit of music, swimming and volleyball.{{cite news|url=http://elpais.com/elpais/2013/04/24/gente/1366796115_685390.html|title=El sable más 'sexy' del chavismo|author=Ewald Scharfenberg|newspaper=El País|date=24 April 2013|language=Spanish}}

In 1996 the younger Sportler joined the national junior team. With them she took part in the first Junior World Championships for women's sabre held in 1999 in Dijon, France. They earned a gold medal in the team event after Venezuela prevailed successively over Italy, France and Germany.{{cite news|url=http://www.eluniversal.com/1999/04/27/dep_art_27305AA |title=Ganar el Mundial fue la meta |author=Richard Alfredo Contreras |newspaper=El Universal |date=27 April 1999 |language=Spanish |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402095326/http://www.eluniversal.com/1999/04/27/dep_art_27305AA |archive-date= 2 April 2015 }}

In the senior category she qualified to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens through the zone qualifying tournament for the Americas; she was defeated in the first round by China's Zhang Ying.{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/be/alejandra-benitez-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418120401/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/be/alejandra-benitez-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Alejandra Benitez Olympic Results |access-date=10 June 2012 |work=sports-reference.com}} She won the Havana World Cup in 2005. She earned a bronze medal at the 2006 Pan American Championships in 2006–she would repeat this feat in 2008 and 2013. She qualified to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing as one of the two-ranked American fencers. She received a bye, then lost to Poland's Bogna Jóźwiak. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, her third Olympic participation, she defeated Korea's Lee Ra-jin before losing to World No.2 Sofiya Velikaya.

Political career

Benítez met in 1999 Hugo Chávez, who made a strong impression on her. She supported him in several elections and featured in a TV sport for his presidential campaign. She also stood as honour guard at his funeral. On 22 March 2013 she was named Minister of Sports for the government of newly elected Nicolás Maduro. She was replaced by singer and ex-baseball player Tony Álvarez in the January 2014 government reshuffle.{{cite news|url=http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=192816|title=Venezuela's Maduro appoints new ministers in gov't reshuffle|date=10 January 2014}}