‘This was preparation for the Rio 2016 Games,’ says Aline Silva after winning gold at wrestling’s Brazil Cup
Leading wrestlers from around the world come to Rio de Janeiro for tournament seen as warm-up for next Olympic Games
The first Brazilian to win a medal at the world championships, Aline Silva ended the season by winning gold in Rio (Rio 2016/Mathilde Molla)
Some of the biggest names in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling competed in Rio this past weekend in a preview of what can be expected in 2016. The 11th edition of the Brazil Cup brought together 164 wrestlers from 10 countries at the Almirante Adalberto Nunes Physical Education Centre (CEFAN), one of the Rio 2016 pre-Games training centres. Aline Silva, the Brazilian who won the 75kg freestyle silver medal at this year's world championships, took the gold in Rio and is now preparing to fight for her first Olympic medal.
“To compete at home feels great and for me that was the difference,” said the world no.3. “To have the support of the fans and friends gave me that extra incentive. It was preparation for the Rio 2016 Games. I am desperate to win the gold.
“This year was the best year of my career and 2015 will be very important. I cannot control the results, but it is up to me to prepare well and train hard every day, and that is my focus,” added the Brazilian, who also won gold at the South American Games, the Paris Grand Prix and the World Military Championships in 2014.
The tournament in Rio de Janeiro brought togheter 164 athletes from 10 countries at CEFAN (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)
Argentina, Canada, Kazakhstan, Chile, Ecuador, USA, Peru, Russia and Sweden joined the host nation in the Brazil Cup. Sweden's Johan Eurén, who won the 120kg Greco-Roman bronze medal at the London 2012 Games, is striving to top the podium at the 2016 Games. The 29-year-old giant stands at 1.92m tall and left satisfied with his first experience in Brazil after winning his competition.
“I want to win my second Olympic medal in 2016 and I want it to be better than the first,” he said. “It was good to come to Rio before the Games, as we have already experienced the climate and we understand better how to adapt to the time difference. This will help us in 2016.
“There is no recipe for preparing well for the Games. Anything can happen and this is one of the most interesting things about sport. I almost failed to qualify for the London Games and I finished with the bronze medal, whilst the athlete who was the favourite in my category did not even qualify.”
Japan’s female freestyle team, which won three gold medals at the London 2012 Games, competed in Rio with a young crop of athletes. Under the command of experienced coach Shigeo Kinase, the group won three gold medals.
“It was my first time in Brazil and I didn’t know what to expect, but I liked the climate, the food and I thank the people for their kindness,” Kinase said. “We brought very young athletes to the Brazil Cup and it was a great experience, since everyone wrestled to a very high technical level. I have high hopes we can win the six gold medals that are up for grabs at the Games in freestyle wrestling.”
Sweden's Johan Eurén won the bronze medal in London 2012 and is looking forward to Rio 2016 (Photo: Rio 2016/Mathilde Molla)
From Ecuador, Lissete Antes also highlighted the importance of being in Rio. Ranked fifth in the world, she represented her country at the London Games, where she was eliminated in the quarter-final, and now dreams of making history at the first edition of the Games to be held in South America.
“To be able to train and compete with athletes from other countries is an important part of my preparation. I want very much to compete in Rio and fight for a gold medal. It is going to be special to dispute the Games in South America and I am sure that the Rio Games will be even more incredible,” said the Ecuadorian, who competed in the 58kg category in freestyle wrestling and took the gold at the Brazil Cup.
Lissete’s rival in the final, Canadian Justine Bouchard, is working to guarantee her first participation in an Olympic Games at Rio 2016. Bronze medal winner in the 63kg category at the 2009 and 2012 world championships, the 28-year-old says she is enchanted by Rio and dreams of returning in grand style in 2016.
“This experience was very valuable for me. It was my second time in Rio and I love the city. To come here for the first time to dispute the Games could be fascinating, because it is a beautiful place, but I am going to avoid this a little because I already know the city. I want to dispute the Games for the first time in 2016 and my dream is to get to the podium,” the Canadian said.
In total, 344 athletes will participate at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. The qualification process will begin in 2015 and Brazil, as the host nation, already has four spots guaranteed. Each country can have only one representative in each weight category.
