Brazilian judoka
Not to be confused with Rafael Silva (judoka)
Lopes and the second or paternal family name is Silva.
In this Portuguese🎉 name , the first or maternal family name isand the second or paternal family name is
Rafaela Lopes Silva (born 24🎉 April 1992) is a Brazilian judoka.
She won gold medals at the World Judo Championships of 2013 and 2022 and at🎉 the 2016 Summer Olympics in the –57 kg weight division.
Currently, she occupies the graduation third sergeant in the Navy of🎉 Brazil and integrates the Center of Physical Education Admiral Nunes (CEFAN), the Military Sports Department.[citation needed]
In August 2013, she was🎉 the first Brazilian woman to become a world champion in Judo.
[citation needed]Biography [ edit ]
Rafaela Silva grew up in the🎉 Rio de Janeiro slum known as Cidade de Deus.
The first sport she liked was football, practicing against other children in🎉 a dirt field near her home in Jacarepagua.
Because they were concerned with fights and violence in the streets, when Rafaela🎉 was 7 years old her parents[2] Luiz Carlos and Zenilda Silva signed her up, together with her sister, Raquel, for🎉 judo classes at the Institute Reaction, newly fitted at Cidade de Deus the former athlete Flávio Canto.
"I started judo in🎉 2000, early in the project.
My father put me in the sport as an alternative to fighting in the street.
In Judo,🎉 I found discipline, I respect the other and began to take the sport seriously.
Judo showed me the world.
With the resources🎉 I get, I guarantee my support and help my family pay the bills."
Judo career [ edit ]
Rafaela Silva, owner of🎉 a gold medal of the Summer Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro for a victory in competitions in judo.
Silva🎉 won her first major medal by claiming silver at the 2011 World Judo Championships in Paris.
[3] During the 2013 World🎉 Judo Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Silva became the first Brazilian woman to ever win a gold medal for her🎉 country in a World Judo Championship after defeating American Marti Malloy in the final.
[4] She repeated the feat at the🎉 2016 Summer Olympics by defeating Mongolian Sumiya Dorjsuren in the final.[5]
At the 2012 London Olympics, Silva was disqualified for an🎉 illegal leg grab during a fight against Hedvig Karakas of Hungary.
[6] Upon returning home, she became depressed.
In December 2012, she🎉 was a bronze medalist at the Judo Grand Slam Tokyo (category up to 63 kg).
Silva won gold and bronze in🎉 2019 Pan American Games and 2019 Judo World Championships, respectively, but tested positive for fenoterol after the former tournament.
[7] Despite🎉 testing negative in the World Championships, she was banned from competition for two years by IJF and stripped of both🎉 medals.
[7] Silva appealed the sanction, but the CAS upheld the ban in late 2020.[7]
Mixed martial arts career [ edit ]
Being🎉 temporarily banned from judo, Silva opted to transition to mixed martial arts.
She is currently training at PFL athlete Joilton Santos'🎉 gym Peregrino Fight Academy with UFC athlete Cláudio Silva and is expected to compete in the Flyweight division.[8]
Personal life [🎉 edit ]
In an interview with Globo Esporte, Rafaela came out as gay.
She spoke about her girlfriend Thamara Cezar, whom she🎉 met via judo.
[9][10][11]References [ edit ]
Media related to Rafaela Silva at Wikimedia Commons
