Brazil’s Jaqueline Mourão aiming to make history at Sochi 2014
With less than 100 days to go until the first Olympic Winter Games in Russia, Mourão hopes to qualify as Brazil’s first biathlon competitor
On the right track: Jaqueline Mourão trains in Canmore, Canada (Personal Archive)
The countdown to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games reached 100 days this week, and for athletes hoping to compete in Russia next February, they are now in the home straight. Jaqueline Mourão has been there before. But this time is special. The only Brazilian to have competed in the Winter and Summer Games, Mourão is now aiming to be her country’s first competitor in the biathlon event, which combines cross-country skiing and shooting. And as she enters the crucial stages of preparation for a season that will define classification for Sochi, Mourão spoke to rio2016.com about her hopes of representing Brazil for the fifth time in the Olympic Games.
“This season will be very special,” she said. “If I confirm my place in the biathlon along with the cross-country, Brazil will make its debut in the biathlon at the Olympics. And I would become one of the few people in the world who managed to qualify for two sports in the same edition of the Games.”
Mourão, 37, competed in the last two editons of the Olympic Winter Games (Torino 2006 and Vancouver 2010) in cross-country, while also representing her country in the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Summer Games, in mountain bike.
Since the start of this week, Mourão has been in Canmore, Canada, where she will train until 16 November, when she will set off for Europe to start the 2013/14 Nordic season. And she is optimistic.
“We’re in the final phase of preparation and, this year, with the help of the (IOC) Olympic Solidarity programme, we’ve had a training programme of the highest quality,” she said. “Along with the physical tests, my shooting practice is showing a considerable improvement.”
For Mourão, the Winter and Summer Games have much in common, although each possesses its own special flavour. “The structure of the Village, the organisation, the security, the competition format in general is very similar. The Sumnmer Games have more athletes, more countries and more heat,” she laughs. “In compensation, the Winter Games are more charming because of the snow and the interaction between the athletes, which is bigger as we stay longer at the venues.”
But all in all, it’s the pride of being an Olympian and flying the Brazilian flag that continues to drive Mourão forward: “In the end, each edition of the Olympic Games is unique, and to represent my country for the fifth time would be a huge honour.”
