Smiles All Round For Brazil's Olympic Committee, Even if It Aimed For Higher
The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) celebrated the performance of Brazil's Olympic team at the Rio 2016 championships.
The COB was delighted with the competitors' fighting spirit, despite the fact that they were unable to achieve the high goals set for themselves: to come in top ten on the medal table.
Brazil won seven golds, six silvers and six bronzes, coming thirteenth out of all the countries who competed at Rio. Tenth place this time went to Canada, who won 22 medals.
"The objective was in our sights: we were three medals away from getting tenth place. Brazil is on its way to success. We need to come back at the next games with the same investment and level of planning that we dedicated this year, in order to keep growing. We are really expanding our Olympic potential," said Marcus Vinícius Freire, executive director of sports for the COB.
Brazil made it to 71 finals, almost double what it achieved in London 2012, where it only reached 36. Brazil came fourth or fifth 19 times, in 11 different events.
The Brazilian committee also praised the diversity of the country's athletes. Podium spots were won in a wider range of events than previously: in Beijing 2008 the total was 8; in London 2012, 9; and in Rio 2016, 10 different events took medals.
The director said that he had hoped for one more medal in judo, where the country won three medals (one of them gold). He also said there were higher expectations in volleyball and beach volleyball, where Brazil won two golds.
The goals are being discussed for Tokyo 2020. The directors of the COB say there is still much to consider, and talks are being organised with various sporting federations, before the bar can be set.
Translated by GILLIAN SOPHIE HARRIS