(Photo: Anderson Neves/CBJ)
Devastating start! Brazil won eight medals on the first day of competitions at the Pan-American and Oceanian Judo Championships, this Friday (26), in Rio de Janeiro (RJ). There were four golds, two silvers and two bronzes, with eight of the country’s nine judokas reaching the podium. Larissa Pimenta (52kg), Rafaela Silva (57kg), Michel Augusto (60kg) and Willian Lima (66kg) were the Brazilian champions of the night. Nauana Silva (63kg) and Daniel Cargnin (73kg) took silver, while Amanda Lima (48kg) and Ketleyn Quadros (63kg) won bronze.
If there’s Rafa in Rio, there’s gold!
Fighting at home, Rafaela Silva was the main highlight of the first day of competition in the adult category at the Pan. Second highest ranked athlete in the under-57kg category, she had a devastating campaign to win her third continental title. The Olympic and world champion beat her first two opponents in less than 15 seconds: first, she knocked down Peruvian Marian Flores and then overpowered American Mariah Holguin.
Thus, she secured herself in the final, where she faced Canadian Christa Deguchi, leader of the world ranking in the category and one of the main names in international judo today. There, the two had a tense fight, decided only by the golden score. While Rafa seemed more whole after more than nine minutes of combat, Deguchi was getting tired, having difficulty landing his blows. Thus, the Canadian received her third shido and the Brazilian won the dispute in punishments. With the title, Rafaela Silva will become number three in the world in the next ranking update, consolidating herself as the top seed in Paris-2024.
Cargnin takes silver in controversial fight
Olympic medalist Daniel Cargnin took silver in the under-73kg category. In his second competition of the season, he also had quick fights. Priemiro pinned Colombian Ferney Mesa in just 30 seconds. Afterwards, he got two waza-ari over Argentine Facundo de Lucia. In the semis, he got an ippon over Mexican Ulises Mendez in just 15 seconds.
Finally, in the decision, the Brazilian faced Canadian Arthur Margelidon. In the last move of the fight, Cargnin managed a blow that would have been ippon, but time had run out before the movement began. The fight went to the golden score, where Daniel Cargnin again managed a blow for ippon, but the referee canceled it after reviewing the video. In the end, the Canadian managed to project the Brazilian. Despite a lot of complaints from the Brazilian delegation, the arbitration gave ippon and the gold went to Margelidon.
More diamonds
Willian Lima won gold in the under-66kg category, reaching his third medal won in five competitions this season. Top ranked in his weight, he beat Mexican Robin Jara (waza-ari), Venezuelan Willis Garcia (ippon) and Cuban Orlando Polanco (ippon) before overcoming Peruvian Juan Postigos (ippon) in the decision. With the result, he rises to fourth place in the world rankings and is also close to being seeded at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Just like Rafa, Cargnin and Willian, Larissa Pimenta already has an Olympic place secured and also won gold at the Pan-American and Oceanian Judo Championships, becoming four-time continental champion. Competing in the under-52kg category, she won three fights to take the gold: Puerto Rican Francine Echevarria (she had a waza-ari advantage, but forced shido), Australian Tinka Easton (ippon) and American Angelica Delgado (ippon) , in a final that had almost three minutes of golden score.
The little ones
Two of the youngest members of the Brazilian team also made finals. Michel Augusto, 19 years old, triumphed in the under-60kg category after beating Guatemalan José Ramos (two waza-ari), Panamanian Bernabé Vergara (waza-ari), Mexican Arath Juarez (shidôs) and American David Terao (shidôs) . He that was also a gold medalist in Santiago-2023gained 700 points in the ranking and gained important positions in the fight for an Olympic place.
Meanwhile, Nauana Silva was runner-up in the under-63kg category. The 21-year-old athlete won four fights, including against compatriot Ketleyn Quadros in the semi-final, by waza-ari, in her campaign. Previously, she had beaten Argentine Agustina de Lucia (shidôs) and Mexican Prisca Alcaraz (ippon). In the decision, she lost to Australian Katharina Haecker, fifth in the world rankings. After resting her head on the ground during a blow, the Brazilian was penalized and lost the fight due to hansoku-make. In this same weight, Ketleyn Quadros took the bronze medal after beating Venezuelan Anriquelis Barrios (ippon).
“Light” bronze
Amanda Lima also won a bronze medal at the Pan, who beat compatriot Natasha Ferreira by waza-ari in the under-48kg category. Amanda lost in the semifinals to Chilean Mary Dee Vargas Ley, by ippon, after overcoming Guatemalan Jacqueline Solis (shidôs) and Mexican Edna Carilloo (immobilization), while Natasha had to get past Paraguayan Gabriela Narvaez in the repechage after beating Australian Anneliese Fielder (two waza-ari) and losing to Colombian Erika Lasso (waza-ari).
The Pan American and Oceanian Judo Championships continue this Saturday (27), on the second and final day of individual competitions. Nine more Brazilians will take action, starting at 10am (Brasília time): Ellen Froner (70kg), Luana Carvalho (70kg), Beatriz Souza (+78kg), Gabriel Falcão (81kg), Guuilherme Schimidt (81kg), Rafael Macedo (90kg), Leonardo Gonçalves (100kg), Rafael Buzacarini (100kg) and Rafael Silva (+100kg).
22 years old from São Paulo. Journalist graduated from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). I’ve been at Olimpíada Todo Dia since 2022. I covered the World University Games in Chengdu and the Pan-American Games in Santiago-2023.
