Dias, Brasil and Oliveira line up in Brazil

“At the Circuito competition, I already improved most of my times. I want to continue that.”

Brazilian athletes wowed their home crowds last weekend, in one of the last opportunities to perfect their form before the swimming and athletics World Championships.

Swimming

296 swimmers from 87 clubs competed in the first national round of the Circuito Caixa Loterias. The event concluded on Sunday morning, 9 June, in the pool of the Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, in eastern São Paulo. The competition brought together some very experienced athletes and members of the national team, such as Daniel Dias and Andre Brasil, as well as many young talented swimmers.

Each group entered the competition with a specific goal. Daniel Dias and Andre Brasil used this competition to assess their own times and training results. Focused on the upcoming International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships in August of this year in Montreal, Canada, the pair are determined to be at their best.

Dias competed in eight events of the Circuito Caixa Loterias, including three relays (4 x 100 medley, 4x100m and 4x50m freestyle). “Overall, my times were not great, but under these circumstances they were fine. I am focused on my training for the World Championship,” he commented.

The event was also a great opportunity for many young athletes to showcase their best times and gain confidence for the next competition, the Buenos Aires Open, in Argentina, next weekend.

These athletes included Ana Paula Fernandes, an S9 athlete, and Marilia Gabriela Dantas, in the S10 classification. The results of this 18-year old pair certainly caught the attention of the trainers. Fernandes has been on the youth team since 2009, whereas Dantas made her debut on the team at the start of this season.

Ana Paula Fernandes, from Joinville, completed the competition with one gold, two silver and one bronze medal. São Paulo swimmer Marilia Gabriela Dias took home two gold medals, a silver and two bronze, as well as a fourth place finish. Excited, the pair travel to Buenos Aires this Tuesday. “I want to improve my times in Argentina and win more medals,” said Fernandes.

“At the Circuito competition, I already improved most of my times. I want to continue that,” said Dias.

Swimming coordinator Murilo Barreto states that the Open in Buenos Aires will allow for an international assessment of the youth team. He also confirmed that the official list of 25 athletes who will compete in the World Championships will be announced by Wednesday, June 12. “We will have quite a mixed group, with experienced athletes and some younger swimmers as well,” he confirmed.

Athletics

The track and field competitions took place at the Olympic Training and Research Center (COTP). In the two days of competition, 45 Brazilian records were broken, showing Brazil’s strong performance in athletics. Some athletes were hoping to be selected for one of the most important international competitions of the year, the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon, France, in July.

“New names are emerging all the time and we are paying close attention. This competition was the last one in Brazil before the World Championship, so it was an important opportunity to evaluate some details. There were some athletes who did a great job here and who will be included in the team,” explains Ciro Winckler, technical athletics coordinator.

One of those athletes who is hoping for a spot on the team is 19-year old Matheus Evangelista Cardoso. The athlete from Rondônia scored his best result in 2013 with a long jump of 5m 72 in the T37 classification. “I am part of the youth team, but my dream is to make it to the main team. I think about it every day as I train. My greatest inspiration in athletics is Alan Fonteles,” mentioned Cardoso.

This Sunday, the young athlete was able to watch his idol compete. Gold medalist in the London 2012 Games, Alan Fonteles competed in the 400m and proved that he is in great form. Fonteles set a new Brazilian record with a time of 50.85 seconds.

Another important name who left his mark on the final day of the competition was Daniel Mendes, world recorder holder in the 400m T11 with a time of 49.82 seconds. This Sunday, June 9, he ran the race in 51.45 seconds.

Wheelchair Fencing

On Sunday (9 June) the state of Rio Grande do Sul dominated the final day of the Second Brazilian Wheelchair Fencing Championship. The event was held at the COTP, in Vila Mariana, in São Paulo; athletes from the state of Rio Grande do Sul were the big winners in the team fencing competition.

For the first time in Brazil, the event included a women’s team competition. Rio Grande do Sul beat Paraná with 45 to 16. A member of the southern team, Suelen Rodolopho was very optimistic about her state’s first win. “We can become the best team. This is all very new to us, but this title will motivate us to keep training so we can always finish first,” said the girl who has been fencing since 2009.

Rio Grande do Sul also won the men’s competition. After defeating Minas Gerais in the semifinals with a score of 45-24, the team from Rio Grande do Sul faced Paraná, who had beaten São Paulo with 45-32. In the final, Jovane Guissone, gold medalist in the London 2012 Games, led his team to a 45-37 win over São Paulo. In the fight for the bronze, São Paulo defeated Minas Gerais with 45-31.

Rio Grande do Sul athlete Fábio Damasceno believes that the victory was a result of the team’s experience. “The Paraná team is an expert with the foil and they made us work hard. I believe that the age of our fencers gave us the poise to dominate the other team,” emphasized Damasceno who helped the team to its five victories.

Whilst the competitions were going on, the International Paralympic Committee also held it’s Governing Board meeting in São Paulo. IPC President, Sir Philip Craven, took advantage of his visit to Brazil to watch some of the competitions at the COTP.

“The IPC saw the high-quality standards of these national events. This has given us a taste of what we can expect in 2016,” said Andrew Parsons, President of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee, in reference to Sir Philip’s visit to São Paulo.