Youth athlete Rosangela Santos of Brazil (© Wander Roberto)
Two Rio de Janeiro sprinters, Rosângela Santos and Bárbara Leôncio, posted the best results of the Brazilian Youth National Championships which took place in São Paulo on 16-17 June. Both athletes will lead the Brazilian team for the IAAF World Youth Championships in Ostrava (11-15 July).
On Saturday 16 June, Santos, won the 100m with the excellent time of 11.57 (wind -0.4), a new Championship record, leaving Leôncio in second place with 11.88. Previously it was Leôncio who had the best time (11.61), but was clearly beaten by Santos who ran an incredible race.
Revenge for Leôncio came on Sunday 17 June when she took the 200m in another Championship record time of 23.71 (-1.6). Santos was second with a PB 23.89.
The event marked the qualification of several athletes for the World Youth Championships, and now Brazil has 14 girls and boys who have obtained the required standards.
Other highlights from the meet came from Jucilene de Lima in the Javelin Throw with a 51.67m victory. De Lima is the South American U-20 record holder with 54.53m (São Caetano do Sul, 26 May 2007), and competed focusing on the Troféu Brasil of this week (20-24 June) which could also decide her qualification for the Pan-American Games.
Ecuadorian Diego Ferrín, who has been training in São Paulo at the IAAF High Performance Training Centre for over a month, ratified his talent by taking the Octathlon in a national record of 6056 points competing as a guest. His 8 individual marks were: 11.19/-0.8; 6.36/1.3; 15.05; 51.60; 14.60/0.4; 2.08; 52.13 and 3:02.64.
In the other combined event competition, Vanessa Chefer Spinola won the Heptathlon with a personal best of 5067 points, recording the following marks: 14.59/1.1; 1.60; 11.00; 24.93/-0.2; 5.66/0.3; 32.93 and 2:32.06.
The Brazilian athletes who have obtained qualification standards for Ostrava, besides Rosângela Santos, Bárbara Leôncio, Jucilene de Lima and Vanessa Spinola, are: Jonathan Henrique da Silva (400m), Tiago Araújo (400m Hurdles), Nielsen do Nascimento (High Jump), William Barrionuevo, João Paulo Rosa and Lourival Neto (Long Jump), Caio Sena Bonfim (10,000m Walk), Evelyn Fernanda Silva (100m Hurdles), Geisa Arcanjo (Discus), Karine Farias (Heptathlon).
Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF
