Luciano Correa and David Moura Win the Gold and Brazil Takes the Lead of the Overall Judo Chart in Toronto
Mayra Aguiar (78kg) took the silver in the final against Kayla Harrison (USA) and Maria Suelen Altheman (+ 78kg) won the bronze.
Brazil won two more gold medals on the last day of judo contests in Toronto 2015 Pan American Games and ended the competition in the first place in the overall judo chart thanks to its 13 medals, namely five gold, two silver and six bronze awards. Ruthless, Luciano Correa (100kg) and David Moura (+ 100kg) overcame Marc Deschenes (CAN) and Freddy Figueroa (ECU), respectively, in the final and reached the highest step of the podium. The heavyweight achieved the competition’s fastest ippon, ending the decisive fight in just 13 seconds.
"I performed a technique that I had been training a lot and I am very happy. I prepared myself to enter the fight and win it. I knew my opponent, I had defeated him twice, but I’d never did it so fast" said David, who had won the previous fights against Joshua Velasquez (PER) and Pedro Pineda (VEN) by ippon.
By winning two gold medals (Guadalajara 2011 and Toronto 2015) and a bronze one (Rio 2007) in Pan American Games, Luciano Correa became the 12th Brazilian judoka who won three medals in the most important sports competition of the American continent. In this edition, Erika Miranda, Tiago Camilo and Mayra Aguiar have also had an excellent performance. This list includes names that made history in the Brazilian judo such as Luiz Shinohara, Luiz Onmura, Frederico Flexa, Flávio Canto, Edinanci Silva, Danielle Zangrando, Soraia André and Vania Ishii. Luciano dedicated his achievement from Tuesday to his club fellow and national team member, Alex Pombo.
"This victory is for him. Alex got his knee injured and could not win a medal. Today I’ve fought for him," he said. "This gold is worth a lot. For me, this Pan is a Rio preview and is good to know that our work is going well," said the half-heavyweight who, before reaching the final, he performed an ippon against Antoni Peña (VEN) and Hector Campos (ARG).
The day’s third finalist, Mayra Aguiar (78kg) defeated by ippon the Mexican Liliana Cardenas and made Yallenis Castillo get two penalties to win the semifinal. In the gold fight, the Brazilian had to face the Olympic half- heavyweight champion, Kayla Harrison (USA), she was penalized once and in the final second of fight she was projected by ippon. Thus, she left the competition with the second silver medal in the Pan American Games.
"It's horrible, I hate losing, I feel bad, it makes me want to get out from hear and go into training. But it happens. Sport is like this. This will make me stronger. I’ll win the gold medal in the Olympics. This year I still have to fight in the World Judo Championship. I will prepare and focus on these challenges ahead ", says the world champion from 2014.”The Pan American Games is a tough competition in my category. It has an Olympic vice champion and an Olympic champion. Of course I'm not satisfied. I wanted the gold, but I have to learn my lesson from this, "she added.
The day’s Brazilian fourth conquest had a special taste for Maria Suelen Altheman who, after nearly a year away from the mat recovering from a knee injury, won the bronze with an ippon against the Dominican Leidi German.
"I'm celebrating this bronze as if it were a gold medal because it's my first competition after a nine month- pause," the heavyweight celebrated.
At the end of the disputes, the Brazilian national judo team leaves Toronto on Wednesday, 15th, and arrives in Brazil on Thursday, 16th. The team’s next appointment is the Grand Slam of Tyumen, Russia, to be held this weekend. No athlete who competed in Toronto will be fight in this competition, but the team will have great names such as the Olympic medalists Ketleyn Quadros and Leandro Guilheiro.
