Brazil clinch 40 Olympic berths at Pan American Games
One of the goals of the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) at the Pan American Games in Santiago was to return from Chile having secured as many spots as possible in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Thankfully, committee members feel their mission has been accomplished. As a result of Brazil’s campaign in Santiago, the country’s delegation clinched 40 more seats on the plane to the French capital, which now has 143 seats reserved.
Of the 40 places won in Santiago, 15 are individual—they belong to the athletes themselves, not their country or team. In tennis, Laura Pigossi secured her place in Paris by reaching the final of the singles tournament at the Pan Am Games. To keep her slot, she must remain among the top 400 of the world rankings until the middle of 2024. She is currently in 134th position.
In the modern pentathlon, ranking ninth earned Isabela Abreu a place in the 2024 Games as the best South American in the competition in Chile. In table tennis, Bruna Takahashi and Vitor Ishiy reached the final of the Pan Am mixed doubles and also ensured their places in the French capital. In Santiago, they both bagged silver. Takahashi also won three more medals (silver in the women’s singles and doubles—playing alongside her sister Giulia Takahashi—and bronze in the team event), while Ishiy won gold in the team event and silver in the men’s doubles alongside Hugo Calderano, the nation’s leading table tennis player.
In the swimming pools, Maria Fernanda Costa and Gabrielle Roncato attained the Olympic qualifying mark in the 400-meter freestyle. They won silver and bronze. It was the first time two Brazilian women stood on the same podium in swimming at an edition of the Pan American Games. If no athlete meets the standard for the event at next year’s national championships, the spots are theirs.
Boxing was the sport with the most athletes with individual berths: nine, all finalists. They won four golds (Beatriz Ferreira, Bárbara Santos, Jucielen Romeu, and Caroline Almeida) and five silvers (Tatiana Chagas, Keno Marley, Wanderley Pereira, Michael Trindade, and Abner Teixeira; ailed by physical issues, the last two were spared the decisive fight, as their Olympic berths were already confirmed).
“The Pan Am medal was really important to me, and even more so the [Olympic] qualification. It’s a remarkable achievement. Every athlete, especially me, dreams of going to the Olympics. Thank God I got [the spot]”, said fighter Caroline Almeida in a statement to Agência Brasil.
The other 25 slots have been allocated to the country, which means that those who will occupy the seats on the plane to Paris will not necessarily be the ones who won them. Most of these seats are assigned to 14 athletes from the women’s handball team. The Brazilian team qualified for the Games thanks to their gold medal in Santiago, their seventh in a row at the event.
Bolsa Família
Brazil ended the Pan American Games in second place in the medals tally, repeating their Lima campaign four years ago. The country consolidated its position as the continent’s second largest force (behind the US), with a record number of podium positions (205) and golds (66).
Brazil’s historic campaign in Santiago saw the participation of 635 athletes, the country’s largest delegation in international events, 469 of whom (73.8%) were beneficiaries of Bolsa Atleta, the federal government's individual sponsorship. Of the 205 medals won in Chile, 184 involved at least one beneficiary. The planned investment in these athletes, based on the 2023 call, is BRL 20.69 million.
“Bolsa Atleta is essential for high-performance athletes who make a living from sport, because it helps to cover our costs. Tickets, food, supplements, among other things. Today, a high-performance athlete who makes it to a Brazilian team—an Olympic team—is well paid. So we have to raise this banner, because these are initiatives that strengthen and encourage athletes,” said Caroline Almeida, from the boxing team.
Among the medal-winning disciplines, the one with the most Bolsa Atleta beneficiaries was gymnastics. Of the 37 athletes who stood on the podium in the rhythmic, artistic, and trampoline disciplines, 36 (97.29%) were recipients.
“All sports have their own peculiarities. In rhythmic gymnastics, we need equipment [in preparation for performances] in case something breaks. Bolsa Atleta helps us buy these instruments, competition clothes and also exchange programs, I believe. It’s really important. There has been investment over the last few years and I believe these results are being achieved as a result of that,” gymnast Bárbara Domingos told Agência Brasil.
Brazil will once again show their mettle in Santiago—at the Parapan American Games, which kick off on November 17. The country’s goal is to remain at the top of the medals table, which they have occupied since 2007 in Rio. The Brazilians will participate in all 17 disciplines: athletics, wheelchair basketball, boccia, cycling, CP football, blind soccer, goalball, judo, weightlifting, swimming, para-badminton, wheelchair rugby, taekwondo, wheelchair tennis, table tennis, archery, and shooting.
According to the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB), 324 athletes have been called up. Of these, 288 are Bolsa Atleta recipients— 88,9 percent of the total. Two years ago, at the Tokyo Paralympics in Japan, 95.7 percent of the delegation were beneficiaries of the program.
