Category:
Rio City Hall athletes win 15 medals in open water competitions
Published on 18/03/2025 - 17:16 | Updated on 19/03/2025 - 11:31
Vitória David, a student at the Pedra de Guaratiba Olympic Village, won the gold medal at Rainha do Mar - Disclosure Fifteen athletes from the Rio de Janeiro City Hall stood out in the open water competitions held last weekend (March 15 and 16). At Rainha do Mar, in Copacabana, Vitória David, a student from the Vila Olímpica de Pedra de Guaratiba, won gold, and Gessyca Guerra, from the Rio Paralympic Team, won silver. At Aloha Spirit, in Saquarema, thirteen athletes from the Vila Olímpica da Mangueira won medals. There were five golds, seven silvers and six bronzes.
– It is a source of pride to see the City Hall’s athletes reaching the podium and standing out in major competitions, such as Rainha do Mar. We also had great achievements in Saquarema, with the athletes from Mangueira. This shows that we are on the right track – stated the Secretary of Sports, Guilherme Schleder.
Student Vitória Brito David, from Vila Olímpica Doutor Sócrates Brasileiro, in Pedra de Guaratiba, was the Rainha do Mar champion. She won in her category, from 11 to 13 years old, and came in 5th place overall, in the Open 500-meter race. Diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), Vitória started swimming on doctor's recommendation. In 2021, at the age of nine, she entered Vila Olímpica and has not stopped since. The athlete, who was overweight and had difficulty socializing, became an inspiration for the students of Vila, due to her countless achievements in swimming. Her mother, Evelin David, also started swimming because of her daughter and speaks with pride of her student's performance.
– It’s gratifying to see Vitória achieve all this. She arrived at the Olympic Village when she was nine years old, and she did ballet and hip hop, but her passion has always been swimming. She had a lot of difficulties at the beginning, but she was always very focused and paid attention in class. Her teachers always highlighted her efforts, which was essential and it makes me proud to see her progress. My daughter was taking controlled medication and, after she started playing high-performance sports, the neurologist discharged her – said Evelin.
In 2023, Vitória's mother was about to graduate from college and was balancing her study routine with her daughter's training. Thinking about taking a break from swimming, she was convinced by athlete Giovanna Paixão, who had been a student at Vila. Giovanna recommended Vitória for a tryout at the club. She was accepted and, since then, she has been training from Monday to Saturday at Fluminense's Recreio center and on Wednesdays and Fridays at Vila Olímpica. After participating in Rainha do Mar, Vitória already has new competitions in mind.
– Next Thursday we will travel to the Brazilian Open Water Championship and she will compete in the 3-meter qualifier in her category, which will be worth a spot in the Pan-American Games. We are very happy and confident – said Vitória’s mother.
Rio Paralympic Team rower Gessyca Guerra participated in Rainha do Mar, in the race category. She competed in the Women's Beach Run PCD 2.5K and came in second place. Before becoming a rower, Gessyca was a track and field athlete for Andef Niterói and always dreamed of being on the Brazilian team. After suffering a serious hip injury, dysplasia, she was unable to continue in the sport, but she still wanted to make her dream come true. A nursing student, Gessyca participated in a live broadcast during the pandemic, in which she talked about her story and the importance of support from professionals, and this ended up opening doors to a new sport: rowing. Since then, she has found her true self and has been a rower for Clube de Regatas Flamengo for 4 years and is part of the Brazilian team.
– It was an incredible experience. This was my second time participating in the event, encouraged by my friend Laura, who also competed. I was the only person with cerebral palsy in my group. In the 15-year-old edition, I came in second place and really enjoyed it. This time I prepared myself better. And the support from Team Rio helps me a lot, allowing me to supplement better, having a structure of qualified professionals, and materials. And it was with this support that I was able to get a consultation with a running professional for this race. I love running, it gives me a feeling of freedom and allows me to stay active. In addition, experiencing running with other people with disabilities makes us believe even more in our potential and know that we can be in the environment we want to be in.
Athletes from Vila Olímpica da Mangueira have also been standing out in the competitions, having won a double last weekend. On Saturday, the swimming team participated in the first stage of Aloha Spirit, in Saquarema, in the Lagos Region. The event brought together the best in water sports such as surfing, paddle boarding, canoeing, among others. There were 50 students competing in the 5km, 3km, 2km, 1km and 500m night races. In the 3km, Bryan Dias was the men's champion, and in the women's Maria Luyza Barros was the champion, and Leticia Amorim came in second.
In the 2km, athlete Marcos Silva came in third place overall; in the women's category Jessica Nascimento came in first, Maitê in second and Ester Souza in third; and in the men's category Luiz Miguel Silva was champion, Luiz Miguel Pereira Silva won silver and João Guilherme Lourenço Silva bronze.
In the 1km race, the following athletes won medals: Rafaela, who was the champion, Jessica Nascimento, who won silver, and Letícia Amorim, who won bronze. In the 20 to 24 age category, Maria Luyza Barros came in second and Júlia Vitória Santos, in third. Professor Danuza Siqueira also won a medal. She came in second place in her category.
In the 500m night race, athlete Wladimir came in fourth place overall and in the 5km he came in second. On Sunday, 32 participants from Vila competed in Rainha do Mar.
– Our weekend was very busy with two very important competitions for our team and also for me, who has been preparing to take part in my first triathlon in April. Our results have made me increasingly excited for the next stages. Seeing my athletes on the podium makes me proud and at the same time inspires me – said the teacher.
News
