The Brazilian Team of Blind Athletes Will Compete in the World Judo Championships Held in the United States Starting from Tomorrow
Starting from tomorrow until September 6th, the Brazilian team of blind athletes will take part in the World Championship. The Brazilian delegation who has been in Colorado Springs since Monday, is composed of 27 people, 13 athletes and 14 coaching staff members. There are no representatives in two categories: 63kg and 70kg, both women’s. Today the athletes have taken part in the last training at the hotel where they are staying before entering the competition. The coach Alexandre Garcia explained the importance of keeping oneself active on the competition’s eve.
"We are setting the final details where we can prepare considering the opponents, since we know their styles. The workout itself serves to them continue holding the kimono and not to stay too long without activity and consider the competition difficult "Garcia said, trusting the team. "The group is very well prepared, I’m sure of it, we believe in them a lot and they also need to believe in themselves much more than we do. The level of competition is high and each year it gets higher and higher, "he added.
Despite the absence of the experienced Daniele Bernardes, three times bronze medalist in Paralympics, because of a pregnancy, Alexandre Garcia is optimistic and sets a greater goal. "Let’s go! We wish good luck to this team so that it can bring good results. Of course our focus are the Paralympic Games Rio 2016, "he said.
The goal of the Brazilian Confederation of Blind Athletes (CBDV) is to improve Brazil’s performance in the last edition held in 2010 in Antalya, Turkey, when the country won four medals (one silver by Lúcia Araújo and three bronzes by Daniele Bernardes, Victoria Silva and Deanne Adams).
"We have some experienced athletes in the group, Paralympic medalists, such as Antonio Tenorio and Lucia Teixeira. We hope they can bring good results. But there is also a new group, actually half of the team, which is quite new. The expectation of the entire work is around 2016. We want them to feel the level they are in comparison to their opponents’ ", Jaime Roberto Bragança, technical coordinator of CBDV, said.
Another target of the Brazilian technical committee is to increase the chances of winning medals with the men's team, which did not win any in the last World Championshi. "Until last cycle, there was only Tenorio (four times Paralympic champion and bronze in London 2012 Paralympics) among men. In the World Championship, he ended up in the fifth place. But now we are working hard to make male athletes of several different weights get classified. The group is growing as a whole. They have evolved so much and this is important, "he added.
Tomorrow, from 12:30 (Brasília time), Brazil starts the first day of competition with Karla Cardoso (48kg), Luiza Oliano (48kg), Michelle Ferreira (52kg), Lucia Araujo (57kg), Rayfran Pontes (60 kg ), Halyson Boto (66 kg) and Abner Nascimento (73kg). Besides them, the athletes who also fight for the world title on Friday are Antonio da Silva, Arthur da Silva, Deanne de Almeida, Harlley Damião de Arruda, Luiza Oliano, Roberto Julian da Silva and Wilians de Araújo. The championship comes to an end on Saturday with the team competition.
