The Brazilian Team Arrives in Russia for the GP Tyumen and Takes Part in the First Training Session
The Brazilian team arrived this Wednesday in Russia for the Grand Slam of Tyumen, which will be held this weekend, 12th and 13th July, and it has already participated in the first training session. The Brazilian athletes who will enter the tatamis are the following ones: Sarah Menezes (48kg), Erika Miranda (52kg), Rafaela Silva (57kg), Ketleyn Quadros (57kg), Mariana Barros (63kg), Barbara Timo (70kg), Mayra Aguiar (78kg), Maria Suelen Altheman (+78 kg), Felipe Kitadai (60kg), Charles Chibana (66kg), Alex Pombo (73kg), Victor Penalber (81kg), Luciano Corrêa (100 kg) and Rafael Silva (+100 kg).
Charles Chibana is leading the world ranking global in his category and he is confident for the weekend. "I hope to make a good competition; it is a preparation for the World Championship, which will be held in Russia as well. This was a competition in which I became a winner for the first time, so I hope to fight well and manage to win the gold medal again, "said the athlete who climbed last year the highest position of the podium at the Grand Slam Moscow.
This is the first time Tyumen receives a Grand Slam. The other two editions were held in Moscow. Besides Charles Chibana, other athletes also became winners in 2013 and seek to maintain a good performance: the gold medalists Sarah Menezes and Maria Suelen Altheman, the vice-champions Erika Miranda, Ketlyen Quadros, Mayra Aguiar and Felipe Kitadai and the third places were held by Rafaela Silva and Luciano Corrêa.
Barbara Timo, Victor Penalber and Rafael Silva compete again in the competition, but they did not go on the podium in 2013.
The Grand Slam of Tyumen is the most important competition since it is the first qualifying stage for the 2016 Olympic Games in May. That is why it is expected to gather most of the countries and their major fighters, making it a prerequisite for the World Judo Championship.
The competition will be disputed on the mats of the Athletic Center. On Saturday, the Grand Slam starts with the women’s extra-lightweight (48kg) categories, half lightweight (52kg), lightweight (57kg) and half middleweight (70kg) together with the men’s extra-lightweight (60kg), half lightweight (66kg) and lightweight (73kg). On Sunday, the second and final day of competition, female athletes compete in the middleweight (70kg), half heavyweight (78kg) and heavyweight (+78 kg) together with the men’s half middleweight (81kg), middleweight (90kg), half heavyweight (100kg) and heavyweight (+100 kg).
After the event the athletes stay in the Russian city for the Training Camp, held between July 14th and 16th. Later on, the women head for Germany for another training. In August, the best world judokas come back to Russia, this time the destination is Chelyabink for the World Championships which will be held from August 25th to 31st.
The Director Performance Ney Wilson, the coaches Luiz Shinohara and Rosicleia Campos, the nutritionist Roberta Lima, the physiotherapist Fabio Minutti and the strategist Leonardo Mataruna join the Brazilian delegation.
