Venezuelan shooter Leonel Martinez has qualified for his second Olympics in 2024, 40 years after his first.
Martinez, who turned 60 on September 28, earned an Olympic berth for his country by placing second in men's trap at the Pan American Games.
Venezuelan Olympic Committee tweeted Martinez will likely fill that slot and compete at next summer's Paris Games.
According to OlyMADMen's Bill Maron, this is the second biggest gap to qualifying for the Olympics.
This record is 44 years old and was set by Japanese dressage jockey Tsuhiro Hokke. Hokketsu competed in the 1964 Tokyo Games at the age of 23 and returned to the Olympics in 2008 at the age of 67.
According to Olympedia.org, Martinez could become the oldest Olympic shooter since the 2012 London Games and the second-oldest Venezuelan Olympian in history.
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The moment when something wonderful is created. Douglas Gomez won Plaza Ambos se Ganarón of Los Fuegos Olimpicos in a split decision over Leonel Martinez. pic.twitter.com/aSrHQm2xoh
— Olympic Venezolano Committee (@OfficialCOV) October 27, 2023
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported that Martinez could become the oldest Venezuelan Olympian in history. According to OlyMADMen, marksman Enrico Forcella was in his 61st year when he competed in the 1968 Olympics.
