After a Series of Defeats in Rio 2016, Brazil's Male Judo Team Gets a Strategy Revamp

10/28/2016 - 12h49

Brazil's Olympic results this summer soared way above all expectations. There was only one blot on an otherwise spotless record: the shakey performance of Brazil's male judo team. And that's considering the country's reputation for producing greats in this field.

In the case of the women's team it's an altogether different story, with champion Rafaela Silva bringing home her first Olympic gold medal, Mayra Aguiar stealing a bronze, and two more female judocas both coming in at fifth position.

The men only made it onto one podium, when Rafael Silva clinched third place in the heavyweight category. In all, it was the worst result Brazilian male judo has seen in 32 years since the L.A. Olympics in 1984.

The performance sent alarm bells ringing at the headquarters of the Brazilian Judo Confederation (CBJ), which is determined to lift the sport out of its current slump, launching a project to revamp the male team, formerly the poster boys for the discipline in Brazil.

Of the 22 medals that national judo has won during Olympics competitions, 17 were won by men. According to the sport's talent manager, Ney Wilson, the aim is to make the most of young, up-and-coming judocas who show potential.

The under 18s and under 21s together achieved a total of 11 medals to add to Brazil's judo tally in worldwide championships between 2013 and 2015. The CBJ is looking for a strategy that will successively integrate these youngsters into the adult male team.

Wilson laid the blame at his own feet. He said that the way in which the masculine delegation is formed is not being adapted to tackle current problems.

"The team is always made up on the basis of national selections. Whoever does well in the latter gets star-studded treatment: the first rate trainers, exposure, travel. Those who don't do so well get excluded from this; money isn't invested in their futures; they fall through the cracks," he said.

The CBJ's solution is to give all young judocas, whether they are victorious in national selections or not, the same treatment. The strategy has already been put in practice.

A group of young hopefuls was flown to compete at the Opens in Tallin, Estonia, and Glasgow, Scotland, respectively. These tournaments both count in terms of accumulating points for Tokyo 2020.

Daniel Cargnin, an 18-year old from the south of Brazil took gold in the middleweight competition in Estonia.

Translated by GILLIAN SOPHIE HARRIS

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