Brazil Dominated the Junior Pan-American Championships and Won Ten Gold Medals

The country was also awarded three silver and three bronze medals and was designated the Champion of the Pan-American competition

Apart from taking place in the same venue - CENARD, Buenos Aires - the Junior Pan-American Championship was similar to the Cadet competition considering the Brazilian dominance. This Saturday, there were ten gold, three silver and three bronze medals; two of final fights were disputed by Brazilian athletes. This performance made the country a general Junior Champion. Since we had also won the Cadets Pan-American Championship, the country was awarded the general Champion title of the Pan-American Championship.

The two final Brazilian fights were disputed by women. The technical committee’s bet on the four Brazilian athletes reaching the final became real. Gabriela Chibana defeated Nathalia Brigida in the up-to-48kg category whereas Flávia Gomes defeated Camila Barreto in the 57kg- category.

\"Before the competition we talked to each other: both of us have to reach the final. We know each other very well because we fought together as Juniors and now as Seniors. Nathalia is in a very good phase and I could win the fight using some strategies.\" Chibana said.

\"My real goal was to be a champion; this way I could get the advantage of going to the World Championship as a head-key. Even if I was nearly losing in the first fight, I managed to revert the situation and won in the last six seconds. The final was very hard because Camila and I were fighting for a long time, so we knew each other very well and it was not easy for me to win.\" Flávia said. Besides Nathalia Brigida and Camila Barreto, Jessica Pereira (52kg) also took the silver medal.

And just like yesterday, three athletes won a medal early in the morning because in their categories “everybody was fighting against everybody.”  Tawany Silva (40kg), Samanta Soares (78kg) and Ruan Silva (+100 kg) did not give any chances to their opponents in any of the three fights they took part.

\"I was pleased because I managed to defeat all my opponents somehow easily by ippon. I wanted to go to the World Championship as a head-key and get the title, \" the twice Pan American champion, Ruan, said.

\"It seemed to me strange that so few people were fighting in my category. Last year I participated in one more fight, but it was an eliminatory one; today there were only three fights. I focused on them and gave no chance to make any mistake and miss this title.” Samanta Soares said.

\"This victory means for me a rematch because I lost last year the final of the Pan and South- American in favor of the Colombian (Eblin Lucumi). Today I defeated her and I\'m very happy because I saw that all my opponents’ level as well as mine has increased. Now I have to think of the World Championship,\" Tawany Silva said.

In the afternoon, Brazil took part in six more finals. The champions were Jessica Santos (63kg), Vitor Torrente (55kg), Ricardo Santos Junior (66kg), Henrique Silva (90kg) and Gabriel Gouveia (100kg).

\"I knew I was well prepared because I had trained a lot; we went to international training camps, thanks to BJC’s investments. Therefore, the training was a very serious one. It was very important to win to be head-to-key in the World that is the main goal for the year. Yesterday I studied this opponent from the final (the Peruvian Alonso Wong) because I knew he was a well-trained athlete. I had been defeated by him in the last year‘s South American’s final, but today I used my strategy, \" said Ricardo Santos Júnior who won by yuko in Golden Score.

\"It was very good. I was a little nervous because they I hadn’t been fighting in the Pan since 2010. In the end, I was a little more aware of his fighting style (the Chilean Thomas Briceño’s) and so I managed to fight with him and defeat him. The result was important because I could see that I am well prepared for the next championships.\" Gabriel Gouveia said.

Five more judokas went to fight for bronze. Beatriz Oliveira (70kg), Gustavo Assis (81kg) and Gabriel Mendes (73kg) won these fights and reached the podium.

\"I believe victories as well as defeats teach us something. I was defeated by somebody who was fighting better than me. Getting a medal is important. I know I have to work harder for a result in the next competition.\" Gabriel Mendes said. Istelina Silva (+78 kg) and Nicolas Santos (60kg) were in fifth place.

On Sunday, starting from 10 a.m., the Cadet and Junior South-American Championships are going to be held in CENARD, Buenos Aires.

List of medal-awarded athletes in Junior Pan American Championship: 

Gold

 
44kg: Tawany Silva (SP)
48kg: Gabriela Chibana (SP)
57kg: Flávia Gomes (SP)
63kg: Jéssica Santos (SP)
78kg: Samanta Soares (SP)
55kg: Vitor Torrente (SP)
66kg: Ricardo Santos Junior (MG)
90kg: Henrique Silva (SP)
100kg: Gabriel Gouveia (SP)
+100kg: Ruan Silva (RJ)

Silver

48kg: Nathalia Brigida (MG)
52kg: Jéssica Pereira (RJ)
57kg: Camila Barreto (RS)

Bronze

 70kg: Beatriz Oliveira (SP)

73kg: Gabriel Mendes (RJ)
81kg: Gustavo Assis (MG)

Fifth Place

+78kg: Istelina Silva (MG)
60kg: Nicolas Santos (SP)


Athletes in the Cadet South-American Championships:

Women
40kg: Victória Tibúrcio   (RJ)
44kg: Bruna Silva (SP)
48kg: Carollynne Hernandez (RS)
52kg: Yasmin Fernandes (SP)
57kg: Ana Paula Prates (MS)
63kg: Karoline Barbeirotti (SP)
70kg: Renata Silva (GO)
+70kg: Brenda Silva (PE)

Men
50kg: Marcelo Braga Junior (RS)
55kg: Nykson Carneiro (SP)
60kg: Gustavo Cação (RS)
66kg: Lélio Puggina Junior (MG)
73kg: João Falqueto (ES)
81kg: Conrado Oliveira (PR)
90kg: Clóvis Braga Júnior (RS)
+90kg: Matheus Rocha (SP)


Athletes in the Junior South-American Championships:

Women
44kg: Rita Reis (AM)
48kg: Gabriela Chibana (SP)
52kg: Rafaela Barbosa (AM)
57kg: Camila Barreto (RS)
63kg: Érika Ferreira (CE)
70kg: Ágatha Pascoalino (SP)
78kg: Isadora Pereira (MG)
+78kg: Sibilla Facholli (SP)

Men
55kg: Vitor Torrente (SP)
60kg: José Vicente Souza (ES)
66kg: Gabriel Pinheiro (PE)
73kg: Caio Brígida (SP)
81kg: Thiago Chiodi (SP)
90kg: Luis das Virgens (BA)
100kg: Delan Monte (PB)
+100kg: Victor Silva (SP)