Brazil Stands Out in the World Cadet and Junior Ranking and Is Praised by an European Site
In Brazil’s latest participation in the World Junior Circuit, the country showed that, besides its excellent senior national team, the cadet and junior categories have also a preeminent place on the international scene. The performance of Brazilian athletes stood out last month on the European Judo Union’s site, whereas the junior world ranking is led by Brazilians in most of the weights.
The year 2014 has been a successful one for the cadet and junior athletes. The International Judo Federation has implemented for the first time in its history the cadet and junior world rankings and Brazil stands out.
Two months after the World Junior Championship - there was no World Cadet Championship due to the Youth Olympic Games - 14 athletes are among the best placed, seven of them leading their categories. The junior world ranking does not follow the same rules as the senior one, which also serves for the country's qualification to world championships and Olympics. However, the first ranking changed the system of deciding who are the head-keys in World competitions. Until 2013, the champions of continental tournament used to have the position. This year, the four best placed got the right to lead their keys.
Marcelo Theotonio, Cadet and Junior Performance Director, believes that the model helps boost the young athletes to new achievements and so they can stay in the elite of the world judo. "The initiative encourages the athletes to dedicate themselves more as well as it inserts them in a more professional context. More than that, it shows the extent of relevance of the work done by the Brazilian Judo Confederation (BJC) “Theotonio said.
In the men’s categories, Brazil has six representatives well placed. The leaders are Victor Hugo Carvalho (60kg), Lincoln Neves (73kg) and Rafael Macedo (81kg), while Gabriel Souza (100kg) is second placed and Gabriel Pinheiro (66kg) third.
In the women’s, there are eight Brazilian judokas with great results: Larissa Farias (44kg), Jessica Pereira (52kg), Danielle Karla Oliveira (63kg) and Camilla Nogueira (78kg +) lead their categories. Isadora Pereira (78kg) is placed second, Tawany Silva (48kg) third, Flavia Gomes (57kg) fourth and Sibilla Facholli (78kg +) fifth.
The team’s brilliant performance could not be possible but for the athletes’ constant attendance to the events of the World Cadet and Junior Circuit Tours and training camps. This year the country has participated in traditional tournament and training camps held in France, Germany, Austria, Panama, El Salvador and the Czech Republic. In Brazil, earlier this year, BJC held the largest training camp for juniors of all times, which brought together athletes from different countries. And in Prague, when the young athletes won five gold medals, two silver and four bronze, the European Judo Union published an article on its website highlighting Brazil’s good performance. All this is possible thanks to the planning done by BJC, along with the support from the Sports Ministry, through the Incentive Law, Siconv and Agnelo Piva Law.
