After Visiting the Facilities of Tokyo 2020 and the Asakusa Temple, the Judokas Arrive in Nanjing
Layana Colman and José Basile, guided by the coach Danusa Shira, compete on August 17th . President Paulo Wanderley Monitors Closely Their Performance.
The judokas Layana Colman and José Basile, who will represent Brazil in the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, are already in China, after the acclimatization stage from Tokyo. Joined by the coach Danusa Shira, they took part on Thursday in two training sessions, physical and technical. President Paulo Wanderley Teixeira will closely monitor the athletes’ performance.
"It is important to always support the Brazilian athletes, especially the younger ones. In the last edition of the Games, Flavia Gomes got a silver medal and we hope to contribute in the medal chart again, "the President stated.”I'm sure they are well prepared and they are joined by Danusa (Shira), the coach od the women’s team." he concluded.
The country’s first athletes who entered the village on Tuesday, August 12th , were representatives of athletics, swimming, tennis and sailing. The Brazilian delegation was complete on Wednesday, August 13th, when the athletes who went to Tokyo for an acclimatization stage arrived, among whom were José and Layana. Brazil will be represented in 24 different sports by 97 athletes aged between 15 and 18 years old, the event’s second largest delegation, behind only the host country, China, having 123 athletes. The Youth Olympic Games will be run between August 16th and 28th. The judo competition starts on August 17th and the Brazilians fight on August 18th.
"I did my best. I did not save any effort and I prepared as best as I could. I let myself in the hands of God! “the athlete from South Mato Grosso, Layana, wrote on her personal Facebook page.
The huge size of the Olympic Village was one of the athlete’s first impressions when arriving in Nanjing. Even for those already used to the Olympic environment, entering an Olympic Village is a special feeling. This is the case of the head of the Brazilian Mission, the Olympic medalist Adriana Behar.
"The facilities of the village are fantastic. I see on every young athlete’s face the exact emotion and fulfilled dream of being part of a select group of athletes. I'm sure that for them this will be an experience marking their lives forever and a great inspiration to continue fighting and dedicating themselves more and more in order to live again this experience, who knows, in the next Olympic Games 2016, 2020 or 2024, " Adriana stated.
Acclimation in Tokyo - For one week, 42 athletes from seven sports (fencing, gymnastics, handball, wrestling, judo, weightlifting and beach volleyball) have been training at the National Training Center Ajinomoto, one of the most modern worldwide, thanks to an agreement of cooperation between the Olympic Committees from Brazil and Japan.
Last Monday, August 11th , a day before boarding to Nanjing, the young Brazilians felt a little of what awaits them in the next six years. The Olympic Committee of Brazil organized a tour for the future facilities of the 2020 Olympic Games to be held in the Japanese capital. The athletes also visited the temple of Asakuza, the oldest in Tokyo.
"Visit Asakusa was very interesting and enriching! We were only inside the training center and this afternoon served to inspire the athletes, "said the Brazilian coach, who is also a Japanese descendant, Danusa Shira.
Time Brasil’ s visit of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic venues was mainly in the port area, where the Olympic Village is under construction, as well as most of the sports facilities. The athletes took advantage of their tour and took many pictures, made their plans, and everything will be remembered with joy by these young talents of the national sport over the next six years.
Nanjing 2014 - The Youth Olympic Games follow the sports program on the Olympic Games, and they also bring in new things in some sports competitions, such as in basketball 3 x 3, one of the sensations of the event in 2010, in relays between countries in mixed teams of men and women, among others.
