The National Team Gets to Japan for the Grand Slam of Tokyo
The 11 athlete-team will not have to take part in the third stage of the Selective Rio 2016.
After competing and winning the International Contest Brazil vs. Italy held in the Pan American Judo Center, the Brazilian team, in partnership with the Armed Forces, went to its last appointment of the year: the Grand Slam Tokyo from December 5th to 7th. The delegation will be composed of eleven athletes who will not have to take part in the third stage of the Selective 2016 because they had already got their place in the senior team considering the world ranking. Brazil will be represented in the former Jigoro Kano Cup by Sarah Menezes (48kg), Erika Miranda (52kg), Rafaela Silva (57kg), Felipe Kitadai (60kg), Eric Takabatake (60kg), Charles Chibana (66kg), Alex Pombo (73kg ), Victor Penalber (81kg), Luciano Correa (100kg), Rafael Silva (+ 100kg) and David Moura (+ 100kg).
Last year, Brazil won four medals in the competition. Erika Miranda (52kg), Charles Chibana (66kg) and Rafael Silva (+ 100kg) got the silver and Sarah Menezes (48kg) was bronze awarded. The technical committee will be formed by Ney Wilson, Head of Delegation; Amadeu Moura, Performance Manager; the coaches Luiz Shinohara and Rosicleia Campos; the physiotherapist Gláucio Paredes; the massage therapist Hans Peter Stubreiter and the nutritionist Gisele Lemos.
This Monday, December 1st, 515 athletes (318 men and 197 women) from 72 countries were enrolled in traditional Japanese competition. As host country of the tournament, Japan is entitled to four athletes in each category and is, therefore, the nation with the highest number of registered athletes: 56. Japan is followed by South Korea with 28 competing members and Russia with 22.
On the first day of fighting, 5/12, there will be the extra-light, half-light and light women and the extra-light and half-light men competing. On Saturday, it's time for the half-middle and middleweight female athletes as well as for the lightweight and middleweight athletes. On Sunday, the half-heavy and heavyweight women together with the middleweight, half-heavyweight and heavyweight men will close the Grand Slam held at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. SporTV broasdcasts the Grand Slam. The first block starts at 22h and ends at four in the morning, Brasília Time.
