Ronan and Vitor secure Brazil's 1st podium in triathlon and badminton
Having been born in Curitiba and having become Paralympic athletes are not the only similarities between Ronan Cordeiro, from triathlon, and Vitor Tavares, from badminton. They made history by becoming the first Brazilians to reach the podium in their respective sports at a Paralympic Games.
Both bounced back after coming close to a medal three years earlier at the Tokyo Games. Ronan, who finished fifth in the PTS5 class event (athletes with mild physical impairments), climbed three positions to win silver in France. Meanwhile, Vitor, a semifinalist and fourth-place finisher in 2021, came out on top this time in the battle for the bronze in the SH6 class (short stature).
“I think it [still hasn't sunk in yet]. My sport is a bit elitist, Europeans have a certain predominance, and it's incredible for a South American to reach the podium at the Paralympic Games. I'm sure that, as the days go by, I'll digest all of this and that I'm just the first. South American sport has grit and strength. It's only the beginning, stated Ronan, who has a congenital malformation in his left hand, in an interview with Brazil Communication Company.
“Everything we worked for for this moment flashes [through my mind]. It was arduous, every day on the court, physical and mental preparation, to change the story of Tokyo. Finishing in fourth place at our first Paralympics was an incredible experience, but this time was much better. Not only because of the medal, but because we had an audience; the crowd made a deafening noise, sometimes I couldn't even hear my coach. Seeing that badminton is evolving to this level is incredible, highlighted Vitor, who was born with dwarfism.
Trajectory
Ronan transitioned to triathlon in 2018, after six years dedicated to swimming. It didn't take him long to establish himself, winning medals at World Cup stages and reaching the podium at the Abu Dhabi World Championship (United Arab Emirates) in 2021 with a third-place finish. Last year, the athlete from Paraná was also part of the bronze medal-winning team in the relay event at the Pontevedra World Championship (Spain) alongside Jéssica Messali, Jorge Luís Fonseca, and Letícia Freitas.
“I really wanted to get here [at the Paralympics]. I'm a bit short, I don't have favorable biomechanical characteristics [for swimming], but I found myself in triathlon. I'm passionate about it and wouldn't trade the sport for anything. I was kind of born perfect for it. I'm sure I can still evolve a lot, assessed the triathlete, who denied having problems swimming in the Seine River, which was the subject of controversy at the Olympic and Paralympic Games due to water pollution.
“For me, it was incredible to be able to swim in the Seine and cycle on the Champs-Élysées [famous Parisian avenue]. Of course, I was totally focused, but I'm not feeling sick, nothing like that [laughs]. I had the best swim of my life, the race of a lifetime, that's why it paid off,” Ronan added.
Vitor, in turn, has five World Badminton Championship medals on his resume: three bronze in Switzerland in 2019, and one bronze (singles) and one silver (doubles) three years later in Tokyo, the same place where he missed out on the Paralympic podium in 2021.
“[Since the last Paralympic Games] I have changed completely. Mentally, physically, tactically, and technically. We built a more solid foundation, we evolved our aspects. It's not just strength, technique, and tactics that define badminton. Our body is incredible. We made this change, I matured more in every aspect, and I went there focused on getting the medal,” explained Vitor, who uses the plural when mentioning the results to praise the people he works with daily.
“I arrived here with an incredible multidisciplinary team. I wouldn't be here without these people looking at me and believing in me. Often, athletes are in pain, tired, and these folks plan everything for you, so you can reach the highest level. I'm sure we are not yet at our peak, that we can evolve more and more and change the color of the medal,” concluded the athlete, already thinking about the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles (United States).
With Ronan, from the triathlon, it is no different. Four years from now, he wants to go for a medal in another event in the sport. “It’s just the beginning. I want to be not only in the individual, but also in the relay,” he concluded.
SOURCE: Agenciabrasil.ebc
