SP2017: Judokas take centre stage on fourth day

With judokas in every men's and wome's events, Brazil are hoping to perform a clean sweep at the Youth Parapan American Games on Thursday (23 March). 23 Mar 2017
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Judo competitions for athletes aged between 12-21 took place at the Sao Paulo 2017 Youth Parapan American Games.

Brazil are hoping for a series of medals in judo to strengthen their No.1 place on the medals table at Sao Paulo 2017.

ⒸALAOR FILHO/CPB/MPIX
By IPC

Brazil currently tops the overall medal standings with 32 gold, 17 silver and 19 bronze medals.

Medals table leaders Brazil are hopeful of further podium success in judo at the Sao Paulo 2017 Youth Parapan American Games on Thursday (23 March) at the Brazilian Paralympic Centre, a major structural legacy of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

The hosts will have judokas in all men´s and women´s events and may be confident they can perform a clean sweep. Gabriel Silva (men´s -66kg), Giulia Pereira (women´s -48kg), Luan Pimentel (men´s -73kg) and Rosicleide Andrade (women´s -52kg) are some who can pick up their first golds.

Brazilian multiple-Paralympic and world champion Daniel Dias will be in attendance at the Youth Parapans to watch the swimming competitions, which will feature 43 men´s and women´s events.

The finalists in football 5-a-side will also be decided on Thursday. Standings leaders Argentina will face Colombia, whilst Brazil will play against Mexico. The two best teams of the round robin will qualify for the gold-medal match.

Panama aim to win their first gold medals of Sao Paulo 2017 through sprinters Enrique Ornano, Angel Ruete and Gabriel de Jesus Navarro in the men´s 400m T36, T37 and T54, respectively.

The first wheelchair tennis medals will be up for grabs in the doubles events. In the men´s final, Brazil´s Jucelio Torquato and Fabio Bernardez and Colombian duo of Carlos Torres and John Ortega will face-off.

In the final of the women´s tournament, Argentina´s Antonella Pralong and Nicole Maria Dhers will face Colombia´s Luisa Castrillon and Diana Melo. The men´s and women´s singles semi-finals will also be contested today.

Brazil currently tops the overall medal standings with 32 gold, 17 silver and 19 bronze medals.

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The 12 sports at Sao Paulo 2017 are athletics, boccia, football 5, football 7, goalball, judo, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.

The 2017 Youth Parapan American Games will run until 25 March and feature a record over 800 athletes from 19 countries.

The last edition at Buenos Aires 2013 attracted more than 600 athletes from 16 countries, who competed across 10 sports. Brazil topped the medal table and 15 countries reached the podium at least once.

Barquisimeto, Venezuela, staged the inaugural edition in 2005, with athletes from 10 countries competing, whilst a total of 14 countries attended the event in Bogota, Colombia, in 2009.

For more information, visit Sao Paulo 2017’s website.