Two badminton athletes and another two in athletics, in the race walking specialty – that's how the four Algarve athletes who make up the Portuguese representation in the London Olympic Games, which start tomorrow, the 27th, in the British capital, are distributed.
Ana Cabecinha, born in Alentejo but living in the municipality of Olhão for a long time, 28 years old, is an athlete from the Clube Oriental do Pechão, and in the last Olympics, in Beijing, she ranked 8th in the 20 km march, being received in apotheosis in his adopted land. A joy that he now hopes to repeat, if possible with an even better result.
João Vieira, born in Portimão, is an athlete at Sporting, and will also compete in the marching event. João, who started to practice athletics with his twin brother, Sérgio, was already a bronze medalist at the 2006 and 2010 European Athletics Championships.
Badminton is represented by two athletes from CHE Lagoense, club of Parchal, municipality of Lagoa, which has been a source of champions.
Pedro Martins (from Lagoa), aged 22, and Telma Santos (from Peniche, but living in the Algarve for two years), aged 28, are the only Portuguese representatives in this sport. They are both newcomers to the Olympics.
Pedro Martins has a vast national and international record, currently occupying the 57th position in the world ranking of badminton (his best position was 55th on 11/11/2010). This year, at the Europeans in Karlskrona, where, in singles, he reached the round of XNUMX.
Telma Santos, born on August 1, 1983 in Peniche, turns 29 during the OJ. It has a large national and international record. She is currently 73rd in the women's badminton rankings.
The proofs of the Algarve
Pedro Martins, 57th in the ranking, will face the Danish Peter Gade, former world number 1, current number five and the best European in the classification, in the first round of the London 2012 Olympic Games badminton tournament, next Monday, at 19:44, on the court 3 from Wembley Arena.
In case of defeat, Pedro Martins will be automatically excluded from the competition.
For your side, Telma Santos, also a debutant in London2012, was drawn from a group of three players and will also start her participation on Monday (13:42 on court 2) against Thilini Jayasinghe, from Sri-Lanka, who is ranked 118th in the ranking.
On Tuesday, also at 13:42 pm and on field 2, the 28-year-old Portuguese player, ranked 73rd in the ranking, will face young Thai Ratchanok Intanon, only 17 years old, number 10 in the world.
In the female group, only the first place gives access to the round of XNUMX.
Wembley Arena has a capacity for 13 spectators and all tickets for the badminton tournament are already sold out.
João Vieira competes in the 20 km race march, on the 4th of August, on the streets of London. The athlete will return to the same route and hopes to reach a good place in the 50 km race march on August 11th.
That same day, Ana Cabecinha (and Vera Santos and Inês Henriques) will run the 20 km march.
Comments