Brazilian judo dominates the Pan American Games with 16 medals and gold

Brazil closed its participation in the 2024 Pan-American and Oceania Judo Championships with a flourish, held in Rio de Janeiro. The team won the mixed team title this Sunday (28), after beating Cuba 4-1 in the final. This was Brazil’s seventh gold medal in the tournament, which also yielded three silvers and six bronzes in individual competitions.

With the victory by mixed teams, Brazil reached 16 medals in total, easily leading the competition’s medal table. This is the country’s third consecutive title in the Pan-American and Oceania Judo Championships.

In the fights, Cuba took the lead and won the first point with Maylin Del Toro Carvajal (70kg), who faced Brazilian Ellen Froner in the first fight on the mat in the decision, and finished with an ippon, the maximum score in judo. Marcelo Gomes (90kg) followed and managed to tie things up by submitting Naysdel Cardoso with an ippon.

Then, Beatriz Souza (+70kg), Brazil’s main medal hope in Paris and who had already won gold in the individual, turned the score around by achieving an ippon against Cuban Lianet Cardona. Leonardo Gonçalves (+90kg) later entered the mat and increased the Brazilian advantage by quickly beating Jonathan Loynaz, leaving Brazil with the match point. It was up to Rafaela Silva (57kg) to end the confrontation, beating Aleanny Carbonell, also by ippon.

CALL FOR THE PARIS-2024 OLYMPIC GAMES

The 2024 Pan American and Oceania Judo Championships were one of the main preparatory events for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

With their good performance in the tournament, nine Brazilian judokas are already pre-called for the Olympics: Larissa Pimenta (52kg), Rafaela Silva (57kg), Beatriz Souza (+78kg), Willian Lima (66kg), Daniel Cargnin (73kg), Guilherme Schmidt (81kg), Rafael Macedo (90kg), Leonardo Gonçalves (100kg) and Rafael Silva (+100kg).

UPCOMING CHALLENGES

In less than a month, Brazilian judokas will seek medals at the 2024 World Judo Championship, which will take place from May 19th to 23rd, in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Both the World Cup and the Pan-American and Oceania Championships are worth points in the Olympic ranking, which will determine the quotas in Paris 2024. (Estadão Conteúdo)

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