Press Release: Brazil is gold and bronze in Paris with Guilheiro and Camilo

Brazil won one gold and one bronze medal at the Grand Slam in Paris, first competition of the year and one of the most important events of the judo calendar in the world, behind only of the Olympic Games and the World Championship. Infront of a packed gymnasium with more than 10 thousand people, Leandro Guilheiro was the champion of the 81kg and Tiago Camilo took the bronze of the 90kg category. Luciano Correa (100kg), Erika Miranda (52kg) and Sarah Menezes (48kg) finished in fifth place.

“It’s one of the happiest days of my life. I only fought in Paris once, in 2004, and it was a childhood dream to come here and win”, celebrated Leandro Guilheiro, who in two competitions in his new category has already won two medals (bronze at the Grand Slam in Tokyo in December). “Everything is happening really fast”, admits the two-time bronze medalist at the Olympic Games of the 73kg category, who is three kilos less than 81kg.

Guilheiro competed in four of six fights with a dislocated jaw. The final was against the Georgian Levan Iskiklauri and was a thrilling combat decided only during the golden score (extra time).

“He was defending himself really well and every time I tried to go in with a move he turned like a cat and didn’t fall”, remembered the Brazilian judoka, who won the local crowd thanks to the sequence of ippons. “In France they understand judo and like to see moves like uchimata, seoi...”, he said.

Tiago Camilo also conquered the supporters ippon after ippon until the semifinal, when he lost to Dilhod Choriev (UZB), placed third on the world ranking. Camilo has also recently moved up from category (from the 81kg, in which he was Champion of the world in 2007 and bronze medalist in Beijing 2008) to the 90kg. Camilo stills feels like he need to gain strength.

“I defeated Choriev in Moscow, when I was bronze at the Grand Slam last year, but this time it was really difficult in regards of strength. I had little time to train this year, but I arrived really motivated. I want to take this time in Europe to improve my judo”, commented Camilo, who will be joining the Brazilian Team abroad until the end of February. During this month the national team will take part in a training camp in Paris, a World Cup in Vienna (men) and a World Cup in Budapest (women), training camp with the English Olympic Team in Dartford/ENG and the Grand Prix in Dusseldorf.

Luiz Shinohara, coach of the men in the national team, the results of the first international tournament were well analyzed.

“Leandro and Tiago did especially well. But the most important thing wasn’t the medals, but how they fought. And, more than this, the fact that they have seen what they need to improve”, he said.

Other Brazilians who competed this Sunday were Luciano Correa (fifth place), Nacif Elias, Walter Santos, Mayra Aguiar and Maria Suellen Altheman. Brazil finished its participation in sixth place of 55 countries on the medal chart. Taking part of the Grand Slam in Paris were 382 athletes.

For the filled draws and the complete results of the Brazilian judokas and their points and adversaries logon to www.ippo.org

Manoela Penna, from Paris