With just one month before the start of the Olympic Games and two for the Paralympics, Brazil has already confirmed more than 460 athletes representing the country in competitions, a year later, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Tokyo will be held in Among the many guaranteed athletes, Brazil can expect a good result from the promises of the country which for the first time will dispute the Games in the most diverse modalities.
One of these examples, and one that raises great hopes for a medal, is surfing, a newcomer to the Olympics and a great potential for Brazilians in the fight for first place. Among men, Brazil is a force in the sport, with four world titles won over the past six years, and two strong young names in the men’s competition: Gabriel Medina and Italo Ferreira, they are looking for the podium – there is a limit per country. Two classified, which prevented Brazil from taking more names in the Games, as more than two Brazilian athletes are in the top-20.
With Silvana Lima and Tatiana Weston-Webb already graded, women still have great potential in the modalities to bring medals to the country. The second, currently fourth in the WSL world rankings, was born in Porto Alegre, but moved with his family to Hawaii at the age of two. Nevertheless, he insists on representing the colors of Brazil:
“I could defend the United States, because I have citizenship, but I feel more Brazilian than American”, she said in an interview with Veja magazine. “I remember the first time I was in the ocean very young, my dad surfing on a giant orange board. When I was a kid, I did everything he did. He started surfing and I love Done,” the 24-year-old told the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) website.
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Other sports that made their Olympic debut are also full of young talent. Making their debut at the Games, Pamela Rosa, Resa Leal and Leticia Bufoni will all three represent Brazilian skateboarding in Tokyo, with good chances of winning a medal. The trio had qualified after reaching the final of the Street World Cup in Rome earlier this month.
“Coming. Now missing [na ocasião da entrevista] 49 days to think, reflect, what’s wrong, what’s right, and grow to reach the Olympics, with the ultimate goal of bringing a medal to Brazil. I am very happy to be a part of Olympics along with girls. Raisa, Leticia and I are going to represent our Brazil very well”, said Pamela Rosa shortly after winning the vacancy on the COB website.
For men, young Luiz Francisco was the first Brazilian athlete to finish in the modalities. The classification came after the cancellation of the 2021 World Parks Championship, which had mathematically guaranteed only a 20-year-old’s appearance at the Olympics.
“Being part of the first Brazilian team, the first Olympics with skateboarding, is a historic milestone. And it’s so rewarding to be able to sign my name on it. I’m so happy. I don’t have words to describe it” , he observed.
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Brazil also has youth representatives in traditional Olympic modalities. At just 21 years old, Milena Titonelli will be the only female representative of Brazilian Taekwondo in Tokyo, and will be on the hunt for an unprecedented gold medal in the category. He qualified in March at the Pre-Olympics in Heredia, Costa Rica, defeating Cuba’s Acosta Herrerano.
In an interview with COB, she said, “I was feeling a little nervous at the start of the day, but things started to settle down and it was another step in my pursuit of my dream, which is to be an Olympic champion.”
Paralympic Promises
Next month’s Paralympics will also be surrounded by hopes due to Brazil’s promises. In javelin throw, by the F56 class (for people without an ankle), Raisa Rocha, 25, is one of the main medal hopes for the country.
Even though she’s not budding (she was in Rio in 2016 at the age of 21), the young lady is coming from great results in her preparations for Tokyo. In 2020, she rose to the lead of the world ranking in her category after winning gold and bronze at the Parapan de Lima at the World Athletics Championships in Dubai, both of which were disputed in 2019.
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At the same age, Veronica Hippolyto is also promising another medal for the country. The young woman has already won silver and bronze medals at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in the T38 class in the 100m and 400m – for athletes with some level of cerebral palsy but walking. For swimming, the podium is expected, among others, due to Wendell Bellarmino from class S11 (for the blind).
He won silver in the 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle and gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2019 London Worlds. The 23-year-old has also won four gold medals (200m medley, 50m freestyle, and 100m freestyle). 100m butterfly) and two silver medals (400m freestyle and 100m breaststroke) at Parpan de Lima in 2019.
experience in luggage
In the list of classifieds for this edition of the Olympics, there are even more experienced names like sailor Robert Scheidt, who will go to his seventh edition of the Games. At 47, the veteran has two gold medals, two silver and one bronze.
‘I don’t think about my age. This question depends a lot on each one, on the lifestyle. The laser class (personal) is extremely physical, but it is not the only aspect. Experience matters a lot – he said in an interview with Globo in May.
Another player who was also present in the previous six editions of the competition is football player Formiga, who was recently called upon by the coach of the Brazilian team, Pia Sundage, to lead the Brazilian team to an unprecedented gold. .
– The way you work, everyone’s satisfaction, the chance is great [de conquistar medalha]. She drives us, she believes in Brazilian football, in us. I believe that PIAmente (with an emphasis on “Pia”) that we have reached the final declared Formiga.
In the Paralympics, there is expectation, among others, in the experience of athletes such as swimmer Daniel Dias. At age 33, he would make his final appearance as an athlete, and would leave a legacy with the country’s incredible record of 14 gold, 7 silver and 3 bronze medals at the Paralympic Games (which could be improved upon in Tokyo). Also in 2009 received the Laureus Award, the highest honor in world sport.
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According to the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB), it is forecast that 230 athletes (150 men and 80 women) will qualify for the Paralympics – 194 of them are already guaranteed. As of now, Brazil already has representatives in 14 sports: athletics, bokeh, canoeing, cycling, equestrian, 5-a-side football, goalball (men’s and women’s), swimming, rowing, parataquando, sport shooting, archery, table. Tennis and Volleyball (women’s and men’s).
According to the COB, there have been 272 classifieds at the Olympics so far, with new classifications likely: athletics, basketball, judo, weightlifting, archery, golf, tennis and water marathons.
