BRAZIL: ATHLETICS - Brazilian Athletics Tour presents athletes from around the globe as they prepare for the upcoming Olympics

Record ID: 863226

  • Title: BRAZIL: ATHLETICS - Brazilian Athletics Tour presents athletes from around the globe as they prepare for the upcoming Olympics
  • Date: 21st May 2012
  • Summary: SLATE INFORMATION
  • Embargoed: 5th June 2012 13:00
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  • Location: Brazil
  • City:
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAC8SN24BG0TP24NHLAVZMOXZEP
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  • Story Text: On a sunny autumn day in Rio de Janeiro over 200 athletes from 27 countries joined the Brazilian Athletics Tour as they prepare for the upcoming 2012 London Olympics.
    Brazilian Olympic medallist Maurren Maggi scored a gold medal in the long jump category. In the 2008 Olympics, Maggi won a gold medal and is, so far, the only Brazilian woman to win an Olympic gold medal in an individual sport.
    Maggi is also the South American record holder at 100 metres hurdles and at long jump, which makes her one of Brazil's most promising athletes for the upcoming Olympics.
    She said she is happy with her latest results.
    "This past week I have achieved some good results in Sao Paulo and now the same thing happened here, it is very good. Everything is better than I had expected. Now, all I have to do is to wait for London," she said.
    Brazil's Fabiana Murer, who is the world pole vault champion, also participated in the championship but scored second place in her category.
    In 2011, Murer scored the South American record of 4.85 metres at Daegu World Championship. At the 2012 Olympics she will represent Brazil in London.
    Murer said she was determined to achieve a better result in London.
    "The only thing that worries me is that I didn't jump as high as I should have. And I believe that I can do that because of what I have been practising. Now I need to adapt my practices to achieve the same results in the competitions. I still have some competitions ahead to fix that," she said.
    Brazil is 37th in the global ranking of Olympic medals and is hoping to move up the charts.
    The London Olympics kicks off on July 27.
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