Brazilian Gymnastics Teams Perform Worse than at 2011 Pan American Games

07/16/2015 - 09h24

Brazil's artistic gymnastics team has left the Pan American Games in Toronto with fewer golds and fewer medals overall than at the event four years ago, in Guadalajara.

Overall, the team came away with five medals: one gold, one silver and three bronze. In 2011, they won six: three golds, one silver and two bronze.

However, the male and female teams had contrasting views on their performance.

"It was bad," said Georgette Vidor, head of the female team. "The boys didn't perform well either. But they have a stronger team than ours. We have to work harder. We made a lot of mistakes."

On Wednesday (15) alone, there were five falls in the finals on different apparatus amongst both the men and women. The day's only medal was Caio de Souza's bronze on the vault.

"The result was extremely positive. When we didn't win medals, it was in events where we weren't expecting to anyway. The aim was three medals, and we got them," said Leonardo Finco, head of the male team.

The men won gold with Arthur Zanetti on the rings, silver in the team competition and bronze with de Souza on the vault. The women won bronze in the team competition, and bronze with Flávia Saraiva in the individual all-around.

"I don't want to compare this with the games in Guadalajara. The United States didn't send their main team there, but they came here," said Finco. "Even with fewer golds, I'm more pleased with the result here."

The focus now switches to the World Gymnastic Championships in Scotland, in October, where the eight best teams will qualify for the Olympic Games in 2016.

Translated by TOM GATEHOUSE

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	Kevin van Paassen - 15.jul.2015/AFP
	Caio Souza of Brazil waves to the crowd after winning bronze on the vault at the Pan American Games