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With Olympic qualification beginning on 25 May, Henrique and Ruy Avancini, the father and son team at the heart of Brazilian mountain biking, are united behind one aim
The Avancini family works as a team towards the Rio 2016 Games (Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)
It is a still more than two years before the start of the Rio 2016 Games but the race to qualify for the Olympic mountain bike competitions begins on 25 May. Henrique Avancini, who earlier this year won Brazil´s first mountain biking gold medal at the South American Games in Santiago, is fully focused on getting a flying start. The current world number 21 knows he is blessed to have the close support of Ruy Avancini, who is both technical director of the Brazilian national team and his father.
“We work as a team, each person doing his bit. I train and take care of my results on the course while my father plays his role as director. We will certainly work hard to be at the Rio de Janeiro Games”, says Henrique during a visit with his father to the Rio 2016 Organising Committee’s head office in Cidade Nova.
As host country, Brazil has two guaranteed places in mountain biking – one in the men’s event and one in the women’s. According to Ruy Avancini, however, the goal is for at least two men to qualify through merit. In order to do this, the national team must remain in the top 13 in the world rankings. Currently, Brazil lies in 10th position. Qualifying will be difficult but it is certainly well within reach.
“It’s a complicated mission. Cycling is an unpredictable, very unstable sport. A single fall on the last bend by a single athlete can lose a country many points. But today, we’re within the range for two athletes to qualify. In other words, we’re on track. It’s hard, but it’s possible”, explains Ruy.
Henrique is undeniably playing his part. The athlete, who is from Petrópolis in the state of Rio de Janeiro, achieved Brazil´s best ever result in mountain biking last year, when he came first in the Munsingen stage of the Bundesliga (the German championship). A place in the world´s top 20 followed, another first for a Brazilian. The 25 year old topped these achievements by becoming South American champion earlier this year. Thanks in large part to Henrique´s results, Brazil has risen to 10th place in the world rankings. All of which has given a significant boost to the confidence of the Brazilian delegation as they pursue their first Olympic mountain biking medal.
“A year ago, I would have said it would be impossible for Brazil to reach the podium in cycling in 2016. But seeing Henrique’s development close-up as I am doing, I don’t think it’s that hard for us to reach the podium. It is indeed possible for us to fight for a medal”, says Ruy.
