Carmelo Camet
Encyclopedia
Carmelo Félix Camet (October 29, 1904 – July 22, 2007) was an Argentine
fencer
who competed in the Olympic games
in 1928. He was the son of Francisco Carmelo Camet
, a fencer at the 1900 Summer Olympics
who is sometimes considered to be Argentina's first participant at the Olympics. Trained as a lawyer, Carmelo Camet gained his training and love for fencing at an early age from his father. By the 1920s he had already won several tournaments and, in 1926, he won the Argentine national fencing championship.
Although Camet successfully completed all of the trials required of him by the nascent Argentine Olympic Committee, he did not attend the 1924 Summer Olympics
in Paris, although his name was on the official register as a non-participant. After taking a brief break to finish his law degree, he was part of the Argentine fencing delegation sent to the 1928 Summer Olympics
. There, as the substitute on the foil team foil, he won a bronze medal, Argentine's only medal in that sport as of 2008. Although he sat out the first two matches with Norway and Spain, he replaced Héctor Lucchetti
during the matches against Belgium
and all subsequent events. At the time of his death in 2007, in Buenos Aires, Camet was believed to be the world's oldest living Olympic competitor.
, a fencer
at the 1900 Summer Olympics
in Paris
, and Clara Isa. The elder Camet, though officially an athlete from France, is considered by some to be Argentina's first Olympic participant. This is disputed, however, by those who claim that Horatio Torromé
should hold this title as the first official Argentine representative. Carmelo had one brother, Carlos Ernesto Camet, who pursued a political career. Carlos, who served as a deputy to the national congress, was, like the rest of his family, supportive of the Radical Civil Union, an Argentine political reform party formed in the 1890s.
Although trained as a lawyer, Carmelo began fencing at an early age, beginning in the 1910s, at the behest of his father and, much like his father, specialized in épée, while also being proficient at fleuret
. In 1918 he came in first place in the former category and second in the latter at a competition, organized by the city of Buenos Aires
. In the next two years, he finished at the top in both events and became nationally known. In 1921 the Argentine Fencing Federation was founded and, in 1922, the organization sent him to represent Argentina in the Olimpiados Latinamericanos, a celebration overseen by the International Olympic Committee
to celebrate the centenary of Brazil
's declaration of independence. His native country won first place in the épée, fleuret and sabre
events in the host city of Rio de Janeiro
. At the age of 17, he was one of the youngest competitors to represent his country at these games.
. Despite the establishment of the Argentine Olympic Committee, and his participation and success in all of the trials, Camet did not attend a congratulatory gala for the Olympic delegation, nor did he travel to Paris to participate in the games themselves, for personal reasons. The official report lists him as a member of the official delegation, albeit one who did not participate. That year, the Argentines placed fifth in the team foil competition. He continued to practice fencing until 1926 when, after winning a national championship, he put the sport on hold to complete his law degree.
Camet did, however, travel to Amsterdam
to participate in the 1928 Summer Olympics
. He was joined by four teammates: Roberto Larraz
and Luis Lucchetti
, who were part of the 1924 delegation that had placed in fifth place, and newcomers Raul Anganuzzi and Héctor Lucchetti
. The fencing competition
took place from July 29 to August 11. Camet, who was a substitute, sat out of the matches against Norway
and Spain, before being called to replace Héctor Lucchetti against Belgium
. After entering the quarter-finals, the team defeated the United States and the Netherlands
, advancing undefeated to the quarter-finals, where they bested Hungary
. The Argentine team then lost against Italy and France, the eventual gold and silver medal-winning teams respectively. The competition for the bronze medal, which would have been between Belgium and Argentina, was scrapped because the latter had already defeated the former.
Camet, therefore, won the bronze medal in the team foil category, along with his teammates, despite what he considered to be adverse rulings from the jurors. This was the first and, at the time of Camet's death, only Olympic medal for Argentina in fencing
. It was also the only bronze medal won by the Argentine delegation in Amsterdam, although silver medals were won by Raúl Landini
, Víctor Peralta
and the football team
, along with gold medals from Víctor Avendaño
, Arturo Rodríguez
and Alberto Zorrilla
.
and Eugenio Peni, despite being a legitimate and official medal winner. He was always given credit by his teammates, however, even if they emphasized his position as a substitute on the team.
Camet's father died on July 15, 1931, a few years after Carmelo's success at the Olympics. Carmelo subsequently married Elsie Muir and, in 1981, returned to Navarreux for a second visit. He lived the rest of his life in Buenos Aires
. At the time of his death, on July 22, 2007, at the age of 102, he was believed to be the world's oldest living Olympic athlete. After his death, Signe Johansson-Engdahl
is believed to have become the oldest living Olympic athlete.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
fencer
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
who competed in the Olympic games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in 1928. He was the son of Francisco Carmelo Camet
Eduardo Camet
Francisco Carmelo Camet, better known as Eduardo Camet was an Argentine fencer who competed in the late 19th century and early 20th century. He participated in Fencing at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and successfully fought his way thorough the preliminary heats, the quarter finals and the...
, a fencer at the 1900 Summer Olympics
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of...
who is sometimes considered to be Argentina's first participant at the Olympics. Trained as a lawyer, Carmelo Camet gained his training and love for fencing at an early age from his father. By the 1920s he had already won several tournaments and, in 1926, he won the Argentine national fencing championship.
Although Camet successfully completed all of the trials required of him by the nascent Argentine Olympic Committee, he did not attend the 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
in Paris, although his name was on the official register as a non-participant. After taking a brief break to finish his law degree, he was part of the Argentine fencing delegation sent to the 1928 Summer Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
. There, as the substitute on the foil team foil, he won a bronze medal, Argentine's only medal in that sport as of 2008. Although he sat out the first two matches with Norway and Spain, he replaced Héctor Lucchetti
Héctor Lucchetti
Héctor Lucchetti was an Argentine fencer. He won a bronze medal in the team foil competition at the 1928 Summer Olympics.-References:...
during the matches against Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and all subsequent events. At the time of his death in 2007, in Buenos Aires, Camet was believed to be the world's oldest living Olympic competitor.
Early life
Carmelo Camet was born on October 29, 1904, the son of Francisco Carmelo CametEduardo Camet
Francisco Carmelo Camet, better known as Eduardo Camet was an Argentine fencer who competed in the late 19th century and early 20th century. He participated in Fencing at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and successfully fought his way thorough the preliminary heats, the quarter finals and the...
, a fencer
Fencing at the 1900 Summer Olympics
At the 1900 Summer Olympics, seven fencing events were contested. Fencers from 19 nations competed.-Medal summary:-Weekly summary:The fencing events were spread out over a good deal of time. The competitions began on Monday, 14 May.-14-20 May:...
at the 1900 Summer Olympics
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and Clara Isa. The elder Camet, though officially an athlete from France, is considered by some to be Argentina's first Olympic participant. This is disputed, however, by those who claim that Horatio Torromé
Horatio Torromé
Horatio Tertuliano Torromé, also credited as Henri Torromé, was a British figure skater who also competed for Argentina. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and died in Willesden, Greater London....
should hold this title as the first official Argentine representative. Carmelo had one brother, Carlos Ernesto Camet, who pursued a political career. Carlos, who served as a deputy to the national congress, was, like the rest of his family, supportive of the Radical Civil Union, an Argentine political reform party formed in the 1890s.
Although trained as a lawyer, Carmelo began fencing at an early age, beginning in the 1910s, at the behest of his father and, much like his father, specialized in épée, while also being proficient at fleuret
Foil (fencing)
A foil is a type of weapon used in fencing. It is the most common weapon in terms of usage in competition, and is usually the choice for elementary classes for fencing in general.- Components:...
. In 1918 he came in first place in the former category and second in the latter at a competition, organized by the city of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. In the next two years, he finished at the top in both events and became nationally known. In 1921 the Argentine Fencing Federation was founded and, in 1922, the organization sent him to represent Argentina in the Olimpiados Latinamericanos, a celebration overseen by the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
to celebrate the centenary of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
's declaration of independence. His native country won first place in the épée, fleuret and sabre
Sabre (fencing)
The sabre is one of the three weapons of modern sport fencing, and is alternatively spelled saber in American English. The sabre differs from the other modern fencing weapons, the épée and foil, in that it is possible to score with the edge of the blade; for this reason, sabreur movements and...
events in the host city of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. At the age of 17, he was one of the youngest competitors to represent his country at these games.
Olympic career
The Argentine Fencing Committee had great difficulty in organizing a team to attend the 1924 Summer Olympics1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
. Despite the establishment of the Argentine Olympic Committee, and his participation and success in all of the trials, Camet did not attend a congratulatory gala for the Olympic delegation, nor did he travel to Paris to participate in the games themselves, for personal reasons. The official report lists him as a member of the official delegation, albeit one who did not participate. That year, the Argentines placed fifth in the team foil competition. He continued to practice fencing until 1926 when, after winning a national championship, he put the sport on hold to complete his law degree.
Camet did, however, travel to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
to participate in the 1928 Summer Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
. He was joined by four teammates: Roberto Larraz
Roberto Larraz
Roberto Larraz was an Argentine fencer. He won a bronze medal in the team foil competition at the 1928 Summer Olympics.-References:...
and Luis Lucchetti
Luis Lucchetti
Luis Lucchetti was an Argentine fencer. He won a bronze medal in the team foil competition at the 1928 Summer Olympics.-References:...
, who were part of the 1924 delegation that had placed in fifth place, and newcomers Raul Anganuzzi and Héctor Lucchetti
Héctor Lucchetti
Héctor Lucchetti was an Argentine fencer. He won a bronze medal in the team foil competition at the 1928 Summer Olympics.-References:...
. The fencing competition
Fencing at the 1928 Summer Olympics
At the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, seven fencing events were contested, six for men and one for women.-Medal summary:-Participating nations:A total of 259 fencers from 27 nations competed at the Amsterdam Games:...
took place from July 29 to August 11. Camet, who was a substitute, sat out of the matches against Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Spain, before being called to replace Héctor Lucchetti against Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. After entering the quarter-finals, the team defeated the United States and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, advancing undefeated to the quarter-finals, where they bested Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. The Argentine team then lost against Italy and France, the eventual gold and silver medal-winning teams respectively. The competition for the bronze medal, which would have been between Belgium and Argentina, was scrapped because the latter had already defeated the former.
Camet, therefore, won the bronze medal in the team foil category, along with his teammates, despite what he considered to be adverse rulings from the jurors. This was the first and, at the time of Camet's death, only Olympic medal for Argentina in fencing
Fencing at the Summer Olympics
Fencing has been contested at every Summer Olympic Games since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. Women's foil made its Olympic debut in Paris, during the 1924 Olympic Games...
. It was also the only bronze medal won by the Argentine delegation in Amsterdam, although silver medals were won by Raúl Landini
Raúl Landini
Raúl Athos Landini was an Argentine boxer who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics.He was born in Buenos Aires....
, Víctor Peralta
Víctor Peralta
For the Mexican long-distance runner with the same name see Víctor Peralta Víctor Peralta was an Argentine boxer who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He was born in Buenos Aires....
and the football team
Football at the 1928 Summer Olympics
Football at the 1928 Summer Olympics tournament, won by Uruguay against Argentina, would be the precursor to the first FIFA World Cup held in 1930 in Uruguay.-Medalists:-Background:...
, along with gold medals from Víctor Avendaño
Víctor Avendaño
Víctor Ángel Pedro Avendaño was an Argentine boxer who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics.In 1928 he won the gold medal in the light heavyweight class after winning the final against Ernst Pistulla.-Olympic results:...
, Arturo Rodríguez
Arturo Rodríguez
This article is about the boxer, not the president of the United Farm Workers.Arturo "El Mono" J. Rodríguez Jurado was an Argentine boxer who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics and in the 1928 Summer Olympics.In 1924, he lost his first fight against Thyge Petersen and was eliminated in the...
and Alberto Zorrilla
Alberto Zorrilla
Victoriano Alberto Zorilla was an Argentine swimmer who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics.In the 1928 Olympics he won a gold medal in 400 m freestyle event, was fifth in the 1500 m freestyle event, was seventh in the 100 m freestyle event and was fourth in first round of 4x200 m freestyle relay...
.
Later life
After the Olympics, Camet traveled to Navarreux in France to visit his old family home, where his father had studied both academics and fencing. While the victory at Amsterdam was considered a milestone in Argentine athletics at the time, Camet, as a substitute was often forgotten as a contributor by his contemporaries in the fencing community such as Oscar ViñasOscar Viñas
Oscar Viñas was an Argentine Olympic fencer. He competed in the individual foil event at the 1928 Summer Olympics.-References:...
and Eugenio Peni, despite being a legitimate and official medal winner. He was always given credit by his teammates, however, even if they emphasized his position as a substitute on the team.
Camet's father died on July 15, 1931, a few years after Carmelo's success at the Olympics. Carmelo subsequently married Elsie Muir and, in 1981, returned to Navarreux for a second visit. He lived the rest of his life in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. At the time of his death, on July 22, 2007, at the age of 102, he was believed to be the world's oldest living Olympic athlete. After his death, Signe Johansson-Engdahl
Signe Johansson-Engdahl
Signe Dagmar Charlotta Johansson-Engdahl was a Swedish swimmer who competed in the Olympic games in 1924 in Paris. She competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics in diving, but did not win a medal, placing 5th. From the death of Carmelo Camet on July 22, 2007, until her own, she was believed to be the...
is believed to have become the oldest living Olympic athlete.