The mortal remains of Ángel Fournier, a multi-time Cuban rowing champion who died on March 16, were transferred this weekend from Texas, United States, to his native Caimanera, in Guantánamo, where the funeral services of the outstanding athlete took place.
“The mortal remains of Ángel Fournier, our best rower of all time, were transferred to Cuba and will rest in his native Caimanera. #InderCuba and the Guantanamo authorities are with their families at this sad moment,” the island’s National Institute of Sports reported on Twitter.
According to report from the digital site JIT, Fournier was buried in the cemetery of the Caimanera municipality, where he was accompanied to say goodbye by family, friends and a large group of athletes, teachers and workers in the sector.
The mortal remains of Ángel Fournier, our best rower of all time, were transferred to #Cuba and they will rest in their native Caimanera. #InderCuba and the Guantanamo authorities are with their families at this sad moment. #CubanSport pic.twitter.com/mFMlAEaGC1
— INDER (@InderCuba) April 2, 2023
The expenses for the transfer of Fournier’s mortal remains to his country of birth were borne by various people who became aware when, more than two weeks ago, a fundraising campaign was launched on the GoFundMe platform to repatriate the rower’s body. .
The also athlete Licet Hernández Licea, formerly a member of the national rowing team and medalist in the Central American and Pan American Games, launched the call just a few hours after Fournier’s death, responding to the request for help from Yusmary Mengana, wife and mother of the two children of the athlete
“We are trying to raise funds for the repatriation of the body of Ángel Fournier Rodríguez and to help his family. Any help, no matter how small, is appreciated. May God bless you all and always protect the family,” Hernández Licea wrote on Facebook when she launched the GoFundMe campaign.
Finally, in the middle of last week, Yusmary Mengana herself said on social networks that they had already managed to send Fournier’s mortal remains to Cuba.
“Soon he will be with you. I am super grateful, I thought I would not make it, but I did it, ”said Mengana, an Olympian and Pan-American multi-champion in kayak, through tears.
“I managed to send the body to Cuba thanks to you. I don’t speak much, it’s the first time I’ve done this in my life, but I wanted to thank all the people who have helped me. I am speechless. Thanks for all of your help, I managed to send him to Cuba so that they give him a funeral as he deserves,” added Fournier’s wife.
The best Cuban rower of all time established residence in the United States after requesting to leave the national team in 2020. Contrary to what many people think, his retirement had nothing to do with the heart problems that kept him away from high competition in 2019.
“It was not for anything bad health. In 2019 I went through a cardiovascular difficulty, but I had overcome it¸ after that I won the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Lima and bronze at the World Cup in Poland. However, between the Covid pandemic, which had no end in sight, and my wife’s pregnancy, I decided to apply for my retirement. With my first daughter, I had already lost everything it means to be a father in those beautiful beginnings; I didn’t want the same thing to happen to me with the second one,” Fournier explained in an interview with Julita Osendi in Cibercuba.
Ángel Fournier was born on December 31, 1987, for which he died at the age of 35. During his sports career, he participated in 3 Olympic Games from Beijing 2008 to Rio de Janeiro 2016, and won 3 world medals (2 silver and 1 bronze) between 2013 and 2017. In addition, he won 5 scepters and 7 medals in Pan American Games. Rio 2007, Guadalajara 2011, Toronto 2015 and Lima 2019.
