Brazil wins unprecedented silver in the team final at the Gymnastics World Cup – 10/04/2023 – Sport

The Brazilian team won this Wednesday (4) the unprecedented silver medal at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championship, which is being held in Antwerp, Belgium.

Led by Rebeca Andrade, the country scored 165,530 points in the competition and was second only to the United States of Olympic champion Simone Biles, who achieved 167,729 points. Third place went to France, with 164,064 points.

The best placement of the country’s gymnasts in the team competition so far had been fourth place at the 2022 World Cup, held in Liverpool, England.

The Brazilian team at the World Cup in Belgium was made up of Rebeca Andrade, Flavia Saraiva, Jade Barbosa, Lorrane Oliveira and Julia Soares.

To achieve the unprecedented feat, the performance presented by Rebeca, the best gymnast currently active in the country and who defends, this Friday (6), the title in the all-around individual won last year, was fundamental.

Among the main devices in the competition, the best score obtained by the Brazilian team was in the table jump, with 42,666 points – on the device, Brazil’s best score was from Rebeca Andrade, with 14,900 points. Jade Barbosa scored 13,933 points, and Flavia Saraiva, 13,833 points.

On the ground, Brazil scored 42,166 points (the highest score was again from Rebeca Andrade, with 14,666).

On the uneven bars, Brazil achieved 41,299 points (with 14,400 from Rebeca Andrade), and 39,399 on the balance beam (the best score was from Flavia Saraiva, with 14,066).

“Individually, I already have all the achievements I ever wanted to have in my life and this one was missing. I’m very happy”, said Rebeca Andrade after the country’s unprecedented medal.

With their performance, the Brazilian women’s team also secured a place in the Paris Olympic Games in 2024 in the World Cup qualifiers on Monday (2), after failing to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The team’s best campaign women in the Olympic Games was eighth, obtained in Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016.

In the men’s category, the Brazilian team finished the World Cup in Belgium on Sunday (1) in 13th place and was one position away from qualifying for the Paris Olympic Games — only the 12 best teams qualify for the Olympics through the competition.

The men’s team, made up of Diogo Soares, Patrick Sampaio, Yuri Magalhães, Arthur Nory and Bernardo Miranda, reached 245,295 points and was just 0.166 points behind Ukraine, which guaranteed the last spot for Paris. Brazil will not have its men’s team at the Olympic Games for the first time since London 2012.

In the men’s team final held this Wednesday, Japan won gold (255,594 points), followed by China (253,794 points) and the United States (252,428 points).

The Brazilian team suffered from important absences at the World Cup in Belgium, from Olympic champion Arthur Zanetti, who was cut at the last minute after contracting a virus, and from Caio Souza, Olympic finalist in vault and individual all-around, who suffered a total rupture of the Achilles tendon of the left leg during training.

Despite failing to qualify for teams, the Brazilian men’s team secured two places for the Paris Games. Having finished the World Cup between 13th and 15th position, the country guarantees a place in the all-around competition, which should go to Caio Souza, if the athlete is able to compete until mid-2024.

Diogo Soares, who finished the World Cup in 26th place, qualified for the individual competition at the Olympics in the French capital. This Thursday (5), he competes in the all-around final at the World Cup in Belgium.

Brazil can still get a third place in the men’s competition, with the apparatus finals competing. On Sunday (8), Arthur Nory competes in the bar final and can guarantee himself in Paris. To do this, he needs to finish the race ahead of Croatian Tin Srbic, who has also not yet managed to qualify for the Olympic Games. The task will not be the easiest — Srbic is the current Olympic runner-up and has two World Cup medals on his plate.

On Friday (6), it will be Rebeca Andrade and Flavia Saraiva’s turn to compete in the general individual final. The biggest rival to beat will be multi-champion Simone Biles, who presented an unprecedented jump among women during the World Championship, called Biles 2.