Dionicio Gustavo
Dominican Republic karateka (born 1983)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dionicio Gustavo (born January 18, 1983, in Santo Domingo) is a karateka from the Dominican Republic who twice won the gold medal at the Pan American Games.
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Dionicio Gustavo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname(s) | Violin, El capitan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Dominican | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 18 January 1983 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 75 kg (165 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Dominican Republic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Karate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early age and personal life
Career
Gustavo won the gold medal in the 2000 and 2006 Pan American Karate Championships,[1] the silver medal at the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games after losing to Emilio Oviedo in the gold medal round,[1][4] and the bronze medal at the 2003 Pan American Games.[5]
He also won the 2007 Pan American Games gold medal in the 75 kg category.[6] This win was accompanied by a promise of a house for his mother who lost her home in 1998 because of Hurricane Georges.[7] For his successful year in 2007, the Dominican Republic Olympic Committee awarded him Karate Athlete of the Year in 2008.[8]
While fighting Chilean David Dubó, Gustavo suffered an injury in his left eye during the 2009 Pan American Karate Championship in Willemstad, Curaçao.[9] He would later receive full support from the Dominican Republic Minister of Sports for full recovery.[10]
Alongside María Dimitrova, Gustavo was awarded Karate Athlete of the Year in 2010 by the National Olympic Committee.[11] That same year he won the gold medal in under 75 kg and the bronze in kumite at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games.[2][12] For this medal he was recognized by the Chief of Staff of the Dominican Navy, where he had the Ensign rank.[13]
On January 31, 2011, Gustavo was awarded by the Dominican Republic Youth Ministry as the National Youth Award for Sport Merits.[14] The Dominican Republic Sports Minister gave him a house in Monte Plata, just before he departed to Guadalajara, Mexico, to compete at the Pan American Games.[15] He was selected to replace Gabriel Mercedes as the Dominican Republic flag bearer, because Mercedes had to compete the next day following the inaugural parade.[16] He not only carried the national flag, but won the gold medal, defeating the American Thomas Scott in the final match.[17] The medal was dedicated to the Sport Minister, Mr. Jay Payano, for his support to the athletes and the national sport.[18]
Gustavo has also been competing in full contact karate with the Karate Combat organization and has a record of 2–1–0 as of 2020.