Fabiana Murer knows what it’s like to represent Brazil in the Olympics. A pole vaulter, she was a world and Pan-American champion and competed in three Olympics. On Friday afternoon (26) she stopped by the fanfest at Villa-Lobos Park in São Paulo to chat and take photos with the public. And she made her bets on athletics in Paris.
“We are going to Paris with a very large delegation, but it is always very difficult. Going for a medal is always very competitive, but we do have two great chances of winning a medal,” she said today in an interview with Agência Brasil.
His first bet is on the men’s 400-meter hurdles, with Alison dos Santos, better known as Piu. “He has a good chance of winning the gold medal, but it will be a very competitive race, but I think he will win a medal,” he said.
His other positive expectation is about Caio Bonfim, in the 20 km race walk. “He was a medalist at last year’s World Cup and is doing really well, he did all the training properly.”
A third medal, she said, could be won in the mixed racewalk relay, with Caio Bonfim and Viviane Lyra. “Viviane Lyra competed well last year at the World Championships, and Caio, let’s not even talk about it. He’s doing really well. So, if they both compete in a race, we could win a medal too,” she commented.
In addition to the positive expectations regarding the performance of Brazilian athletes, Murer said he expects many records to be broken in the athletics events in Paris. “I can see that there will be many records, not only Olympic records, but I think there will be world records. In the competitions held this year, many world records have already been broken, such as in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, an American, broke a record in the American trials. And she is coming on very strong, but there is also a Dutch athlete, Femke Bol, who also ran her best time this year. And Armand Duplantis, in the men’s pole vault, has already broken the world record this year, jumping 6.24 meters, and I am sure he will break the record this year in the Olympics as well,” he commented.
In an interview with Brazil AgencyMurer also recalled the feeling of being at the Olympics. “It’s always exciting. Being at the Olympics or watching one makes you miss it, you want to be in the village again, you feel butterflies in your stomach and all the anticipation of the competition. But now I’m just here cheering,” he said. “The Olympics are very special, it’s an athlete’s dream. It was my dream when I started playing the sport. And I went to three Olympics. So now it’s time to enjoy every moment and cheer for our athletes.”
