In 2022, Brazilian athletes started the cycle for the 2024 Games very well, with important achievements in world championships. There were 16 competitions, when considering only the modalities that are on the program in Paris, with 87 medals (26 of which are gold).
One of the highlights of the season was the historic campaign at the Paralympic Swimming World Championship, held at the Olympic Swimming Pool Complex in Funchal, on Madeira Island (Portugal), in June. The Brazilian delegation ranked third overall with 53 medals (19 gold, 10 silver and 24 bronze), Brazil’s best performance in the history of the competition.
The World #Madeira2022 will miss you.
The ?? ran a spectacular campaign that went down in history with 53 medals: 19 ?, 10 ? and 24 ?.
Come check out beautiful and remarkable moments from this edition of the competition. ?
?: Ale Cabral/CPB pic.twitter.com/4uCRssmcHN
— Brazilian Paralympic Committee (@cpboficial) June 18, 2022
This was the first major event of the modality since the retirement of multi-champion Daniel Dias, after the Paralympics in Tokyo (Japan). And the Brazilian performance in Madeira Island confirmed the scenario observed in the Japanese capital: an increasingly less dependence on the results of one or two swimmers for classification in the medal table.
In the competition, Brazil had 15 champions among the 29 members of the delegation that traveled to Portugal, seven in individual events: Carol Santiago, Cecília Araújo, Gabriel Araújo, Gabriel Bandeira, Gabriel Cristiano, Mariana Gesteira and Samuel Oliveira. Only three of the swimmers returned to Brazil without medals. In other words: almost 90% of Brazilians were on the podium in Funchal.
Another outstanding episode of the season was the conquest of the World Sitting Volleyball by the women’s team. The feat was achieved in November after the victory of 3 sets to 2 over Canada in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina). As a bonus, the Brazilians secured a spot at the Paralympics in Paris.
?2022 WPV Sitting Volleyball World Championships – The Finals?
Congratulations!
BRA ?? are champions in #Sarajevo2022 and have now qualified for the #Paris2024 Paralympics after a thrilling tiebreak win 3-2 (25-23, 18-25, 21-25, 25-17, 15-6) over CAN ??
Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/n27QUhYyyH
— World ParaVolley (@ParaVolley) November 11, 2022
In goalball, Brazil also secured a place in the 2024 Games after winning the World Cup, but with the men’s team. In an emotional decision against China, which ended with a 6-5 comeback victory, the team secured its third title in December in Matosinhos (Portugal).
Brazilian men’s team defeats China and becomes the greatest goalball world champion in history: https://t.co/11LBXnvfL7#LoteriasCaixa pic.twitter.com/cd7R8IYbhN
— Brazilian Paralympic Committee (@cpboficial) December 16, 2022
In November, Bruna Alexandre and Paulo Salmin conquered in Granada (Spain) the gold medal of the Paralympic World Table Tennis Championship, in Class XD17, by defeating the Danes Peter Rosenmeier and Thea Nielsen by 3 sets to 0 (partials of 12/ 10, 5/11 and 6/11).
GOLD FOR BRAZIL! ???
Bruna Alexandre and Paulo Salmin win the final 3-0 and take the Mixed Doubles XD17 world title#AndaluciaWPTTC22 pic.twitter.com/nOqSEBXmvn
— CBTM (@CBTM_TM) November 8, 2022
In individual disciplines, Alana Maldonado and Wilians Araújo triumphed in their respective categories at the Paralympic Judo World Championship, which was held in Baku (Azerbaijan) in November.
The 27-year-old from São Paulo secured the second championship (she had already secured a gold in the 2018 edition held in Portugal) in the up to 70 kg category for J2 athletes (low vision) after defeating the Turkish Raziye Ulucam in the final. The 31-year-old from Paraíba won in the heavyweight decision (over 90 kg) of the J1 class (total blind), with an unappealable ippon, the Azerbaijani Ilham Zakiyev, who owns four Paralympic medals (two golds and two bronzes).
It is also important to highlight Andreza Vitória, from Pernambuco, who won gold at the World Paralympic Bocce Championship, held in November at the Barra da Tijuca Olympic Park. In the decision, in the BC1 class (for people who can play with their hands or feet and who have the option of an assistant), the Brazilian beat Croatian Dora Basic by 3 to 1.
At the Paracanoe World Cup held in August in Halifax (Canada), the highlight was Igor Tofalini’s gold medal in the VL 200 meter race. In the same dispute, Fernando Rufino finished in second place.
Brazil wins a double at the Canoeing World Cup in Canada: https://t.co/78lBGagSug pic.twitter.com/03fhB8nqjA
— Brazilian Paralympic Committee (@cpboficial) August 6, 2022
