Tiago Camilo Is the First Brazilian Judoka Who Became Champion Three Times in Panamerican Games
The Brazilian overcame the Olympic Vice-Champion Asley Gonzalez (CUB). Victor Penalber (81 kg), Mariana Silva (63 kg) and Maria Portela (70 kg) win bronze.
At 32, he's in great shape. Even if the "King of ippon" did not perform the perfect blow against the Cuban Asley Gonzalez, silver-awarded in the Olympic Games London and world champion in the World Championships Rio 2013, his fight strategy was flawless. Making his opponent get two penalties, he got the gold medal at the Pan American Games Toronto 2015, his third one in the continent’s most important multi-sport competition, and so he made history as the first judoka to achieve such a feat.
"I came here to do what I love most, that is fighting judo. I am proud to be Brazilian. Each achievement is special. The Pan has always been special for me due to its environment, and I am very happy with this result, “the champion of the Pan American Games and World Championship 2007 said. "My goal are the Olympics Rio de Janeiro 2016. I will not end my career in Rio, but I will not go further in 2020. And in this cycle, my goal is reaching one more Olympic podium. It's great for my self-confidence having defeated an Olympic vice-champion, "he added.
Tiago started the competition with a lot of energy projecting the Chilean Rafael Romo by ippon. In the semifinal, the rhythm was the same. He projected the Argentinian Cristian Schmidt by wazari and then dominated the fight, forcing the opponent to suffer four penalties and be eliminated from the contest. In the end, he faced a very tough fight that also ended by difference in punishments. The athlete of Tupa, São Paulo, wanted to thank for everybody’s support and dedicated his achievement to two people in particular.
"This title is for my first daughter whose birthday is this week and for the second one to be born in a month," he said. "It has been a real battle here in Toronto. Be sure that your energy got here and gave me strength to overcome this competition."
Apart from Tiago’s gold, Brazil won three more bronze medals with Victor Penalber (81kg), Mariana Silva (63kg) and Maria Portela (70kg). The three of them fell in the semifinals but rose again in the bronze contention and they reached a place on the podium. The first athlete who came back to the mats of the Hershey Centre was Mariana. She started defeating the Mexican Andrea Gutierrez by ippon with an immobilization. In the semifinal, she could not win against the Canadian Stefane Tremblay. In fight for the third place, she dominated her opponent, the Colombian Diana Velasco, by yuko and wazari.
"I was really surprised by the opponent because I have already won two fights against her. But it serves as a lesson. This showed me that I have to work much harder and evolve more. It is very frustrating to leave a championship without a medal. So I'm happy with my bronze, it is very important to me, “Mariana said.
Victor started the Pan with a beautiful ippon against the Mexican Yousef Farah but in the semifinal, with only 30 seconds to the end, he was projected by the Cuban Ivan Silva and he did not have time to recover. In the bronze contention, he seemed not to be worried too much by his opponent, Gaddiel Miranda from Puerto Rican, whom he projected first by yuko and then by ippon and so he won a medal in his first time as a competitor in the Pan American Games.
"Winning bronze is always important, especially in the Pan American Games. It is always bad when it comes from a defeat in the semifinal and one would dream to win the gold. It is a very hard fall. But judo teaches us to get up and fight again. So we get up and dream again. So I did. I began dreaming of bronze, I got here and I won, " Victor said.
Portela proved once more why her nickname was "raçudinha" - “stubborn” and she outdid herself and got a medal. In the first round, she was losing the fight, but in the last ten seconds she managed to project and immobilize the Venezuelan Elvismar Rodriguez, who gave up the fight. In the semifinal, after being punished, she got a yuko in the last minute. But, supported by local fans who were in quite a large number at the Hershey Centre, Kelita Zupancic, the world number four, managed to unbalance the Brazilian and immobilize her, scoring two yukos against her and secured a place in the final. In the bronze contention, she forced a punishment against the Mexican Andrea Poo and got a medal.
"It was really an outdoing. My category has very tough girls, world level speaking, and being again on the podium is one more proof that I'm evolving. This year I have done a good job and hopefully I will further improve for the World Championship, my greatest goal this year, "said the gaucho who won bronze at the Pan American Championships besides the gold in the Open from Montevideo and silver in the Open Buenos Aires.
Judo’s participation in Toronto ends on Tuesday, July 14th, with the half heavyweight and heavyweight categories. Brazil will be represented by Mayra Aguiar (78kg), Maria Suelen Altheman (+ 78kg), Luciano Correa (100kg) and David Moura (+ 100kg). Preliminaries start at 4 pm and the finals at 8 pm, Brasília time zone.
