Note from BW of Brazil: Once again Brazilian women are doing what they do best in a global sporting competition! A few of the names we feature in today’s post are names we’ve seen before (here and here) and it’s great to see these women representing Brazil in other sports besides futebol. They join others in our features on women in sports such as gymnasts Daiane dos Santos and Flávia Saraiva, the women’s National Basketball Team, tennis star Teliana Pereira, and swimmer Etienne Medeiros, among others. We look forward to seeing these women in the 2016 Olympics to be held in Rio de Janeiro, but for now, we celebrate their hard-earned victories!
World champion, Rafaela Silva takes the bronze in judo
Brazilian beats Venezuelan to ensure another medal in judo
The expected gold in judo for Rafaela Silva didn’t come. But the Brazilian managed to bring the bronze medal to Brazil in the under-67kg category after defeating the Venezuelan Anriquelis Barrios, on Sunday evening.
The Brazilian started the fight best, managing a wazari in the beginning. The fight was paralyzed two minutes after Rafaela took a cut in her mouth, but the judoka (judo fighter) came back confidently and maintained a good pace to secure the bronze.
Rafaela’s trajectory to the bronze had a victory against Argentina’s Gabriela Narvaez. However in the semifinals, she lost to Canadian Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard by immobilization.
From the favela of Chacrinha to the podium in Toronto
By Bruno Doro
The sisters Lohaynny and Luana Vicente were born in the Morro da Chacrinha, a slum in the neighborhood of Jacarepagua, in Rio de Janeiro. Their father died in 2000. He was the trafficking boss of the area and was ambushed. Both were children at the time being four and six years old. Today, 15 years later, they are the proof that it is indeed possible to dream of a different future and a Pan-American medal, as they conquered this Wednesday, July 15th.
The chance of the “Brazilian Williams sisters” came in badminton, a sport growing in Brazil precisely because of social projects in poor communities, such as the Chacrinha. They learned to play in the MIratus project. Badminton is played in singles or dual, resembles tennis and is played with a racket and a kind of shuttlecock, called volante or pena. The goal is to make the shuttlecock touches the opponent’s court.
Two years ago, the sisters moved to São Paulo. First, Lohaynny, the youngest, came to Campinas. Six months later it was Luana’s turn. Today, both defend the Paulistano, a traditional club of high society São Paulo.
“When we decided to leave Chacrinha, many people were against it. They said that it wouldn’t work out. We were going to a place full of boyzinhos and that we would not be accepted. But the beautiful thing about the sport is that it doesn’t matter the social class that you came out of, but how much you struggled to get where you are. And we show that with hard work and results, you can convince those who do not like you to respect you. And that’s what matters,” says Lohaynny.
Medalists
At the Pan American Games in Toronto, they failed to qualify for the final of the women’s tournament doubles. They left with the silver, an unprecedented medal for the country. Lohaynny still plays in singles and is one that can qualify for the Olympic Games next year – only one Brazilian should go to the Rio-2016 and she is, currently, the second from the country in the world ranking.
More than that: they are examples for those who look for badminton as a strange sport, far from the reality of the country. “The cool thing of the two is proving that everyone can have a chance at life. Badminton in Brazil is gaining a lot of space in these social projects. This is really cool. I’m a fan of both. And the best is that they are just at the tip of this process. In the future, many more people like them will appear,” says Daniel Paiola also a silver medalist in Toronto, next to Hugo Arthuso.
Lohaynny and Luana has only one thing to regret. They can’t continue living in Rio, close to their mother and grandmother. The city that will host the Olympic Games has no clubs (and no infrastructure) for the sport of their choice. “But it doesn’t matter. Whenever we can, we return to Rio and make a visit. We are doing what we like. And this is the biggest incentive. “
Joice Silva wins 1st gold in the history of wrestling for Brazil in Pan13
Joice Silva entered the history books of the Pan American Games! On Thursday, she became the first Brazilian to win a gold medal in wrestling.
At the end of the freestyle category up to 58kg, the Brazilian won an upset against the Cuban Yakelin Estornell to climb to the top of the podium.
With the weight of the conquest of an unprecedented medal, Joice didn’t start well and lost by 5 to 0. But soon reacted, fit two strokes and narrowed the gap to 5 to 4. At the end, the Cuban got tired, faltered and ended up falling by a count of 6 to 5. Gold for Brazil in thrilling fashion!
Joice had won bronze medal at the last Pan in 2011 in Guadalajara. But now enters the list of Brazilian heroes with the first gold in the sport since 1950.
Besides the two medals in the Games, she was 11 times Brazilian champion in the category up to 55kg and national bi-champion of 58kg.
Judoka Érika Miranda takes 1st Brazilian Gold Pan
The judoka Érika Miranda (52kg), the light category, took the first gold of Brazil in this edition of the Pan American Games. At 28 years of age, the 3rd in the world ranking defeated the Canadian Ecaterina Guica after two consecutive blows and got her first gold medal in the competition.
The Brazilian immobilized the Dominican Garcia in just 1min22s in the quarter-finals. In the semi, she crossed the Ecuadorian Diana Diaz before facing Ecaterina Guica, who had eliminated the American Angelica Delgado at the same stage.
The two bronzes went to Angelica Delgado, who beat the Dominican Maria Garcia and the Cuban Gretter Romero, who defeated the Ecuadorian Diana Diaz.
Érika Miranda won gold at the Grand Prix of Baku in 2015, silver in 2007 and bronze in Guadalajara 2011. In the World games of 2013, the judoka of the Minas Tênis Clube took the silver and in 2014 the bronze.
Source: Zero Hora, Correio Nagô, UOL, Fox Sports Brasil
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own back yard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
Maya Angelou
Im proud of my brazilian sistas doing what they do best… WIN! Just like our black american sistas and our afro latinos across the caribbean and south america. Be proud of black women and men winning…. despite the playing field being level or not!