Mayra Aguiar Is Back on the Top of World Ranking

After a year of uncertainties, Mayra resumes leadership of IJF’s Ranking

After the World Masters award in Tyumen, the Gaucho athlete resumed leadership of IJF’s World Ranking on Middleweight category, which belonged to the American judoka, Kayla Harrison. Mayra’s Hungarian opponent, Abigel Joo, against whom she fought in the competition from Russia, took the second place. The World Masters was only the third competition in which the Olympic medalist took part, after her recovery from a serious shoulder injury she suffered during the London Games. And just as she had done in the Pan-American Championship and Brazil Trophy, Mayra went on the highest place of the podium. By getting 700 points on the Russian mats, Mayra got a total sum of 2030 points, whereas the second qualified opponent scored1628 points.

\"Being back to the Top of the Ranking means a lot to me, because when you undergo a surgery, your future becomes uncertain. One does not know whether it is possible to recover and get back to the previous level. And I have just come back, on the Pan American occasion, where I thought that I fought very well and that was extremely important for my confidence. It was there where I felt that my shoulder was ready for the tatamis. Since I had recovered from my injury, I was targeting the Masters as a priority, and having it been successful, I feel now ready for the next challenges. I have to confess that at that time I was not thinking of the Ranking, but of how to win, and this will be for sure a milestone in my career. This happened also last time and having the opportunity to get recovered is remarkable. Now I am aiming at the World Military Games in Paris from the end of this month. I am very excited about this because it will be my first World Military competition; at the last one I was injured and I could not come. After this, the World Championships come and ... Having the chance to take part in such an important tournament as the World Championship at home is something special. The atmosphere is so different, the whole crowd are encouraging you, your family are watching you ... it will be special.\" Mayra said.

Silver awarded in Tyumen, Sarah Menezes keeps leading the Ranking: she has 2030 points just like Mayra, whereas the Japanese athlete, Haruna Asami got 1470 and she is in the second place. Maria Suelen Altheman remains in the second place in the Ranking, very close to the Cuban Idalys Ortiz, who leads. Only 134 points separate them. Victor Penalber, lacking only two points, fell to the second place among the half middleweight judokas, Georgian Avtandil Tchrikishvili vbeing on the first position. Last but not least, Felipe Kitadai came back on Top Three - the third position- after his bronze in the Masters.

The Male Heavyweight category is still the most visible one in Brazil since there are three Brazilians in the Top Ten of the Ranking. Rafael Silva, getting a silver medal and scoring 420 points in Tyumen, remained in the second place. \"Baby\" got 1830 points, 170 less than Teddy Riner. On the sixth and seventh positions, David Moura and Walter Santos confirmed the good phase that had been shown so far.

Apart from the aforementioned athletes, there are 12 more in the Top-16 Ranking, as follows:

Luiz Revite (14^th, Half Lightweight)

Bruno Mendonça (7^th, Lightweight)

Marcelo Contini (16^th, Lightweight)

Tiago Camilo (5^th, Middleweight)

Renan Nunes (7^th, Half Heavyweight)

Erika Miranda (5^th, Half Lightweight)

Eleudis Valemtim (13^th, Half Lightweight)

Rafaela Silva (5^th, Lightweight)

Ketleyn Quadros (11^th, Lightweight)

Katherine Campos (13^th, Half Middleweight)

Maria Portela (6^th, Middleweight)