The 2016 Rio Paralympic Games get underway later today so when better to take a look at the Brazilian team to see how likely they will be able to turn home advantage into medals!
Jose Carlos Chagas (BC1) – World Number 10. Chagas won the Americas Continental Cup in Toronto in 2015 but hasn’t produced many performances that indicate that he will be capable of taking a medal in Rio. With that said, he’ll have over 6,000 spectators willing him on.
Maciel Santos (BC2) – World Number 2. Arguably Brazil’s best chance of a medal in the Boccia. He has a string of top 3 finishes to his name over the last 4 years and will want to prove the his worth to the boccia community after a disappointing 8th place in Beijing in March.
Lucas Ferreira de Araujo (BC2) – World number 26. The stand out performance of Lucas’ career to date has been his 4th place in Toronto in 2015. He’ll be hopeful he can make the latter stages of the competition on home soil.
Antonio Leme (BC3) – World Number 5. It might be a push for Leme to claim gold at his home Paralympics but a medal is definitely not out of the equation. He has had a number of solid performance in international events over the last 2 years and could be higher in the world rankings if it wasn’t for a disappointing World Championships in March. Leme lost to eventual winner, and world number 1, Ho Won Jeong, in the round of 32, an opponent he’ll want to avoid this time out.
Evelyn de Oliveria (BC3) – World number 128. Evelyn’s last international event was the 2013 Regional Championships. Will she be a surprise package at this years Paralympics?
Eliseu Dos Santos (BC4) – World number 3. A disappointing World Championships in 2016 could have had a greater impact on Dos Santos’ position in the rankings but strong performaces in Toronto and at the World Championships in 2014 have put him in a strong position leading into the Paralympics.
Dirceu Jose Pinto (BC4) – World number 7. Pinto has performed well in world open events in Montreal and Poznan over the last 2 years. Solid performances at both World Championships in Beijing have cemented Pinto’s place in the top 10 and he’ll be hopeful he can put pressure on some of the higher ranked athletes in the BC4 competition.
The Opening Ceremony begins at 18:15 (local time) today at the Maracana!
