Newsroom Agência Brasil
Brasilia - On the very first day of official competitions, Saturday, July 28, Sarah Menezes, 22, who was born in Piauí, one of Brazil’s poorer states that is located in the semi-arid Northeast region, won the first ever female individual gold medal in judo defeating the reigning Olympic champion, Alina Dumitru of Romenia, in the 48 kg category.
Menezes participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games where she was defeated in the first round. However, she was twice the World Junior champion in her category (2008 and 2009). After that she won two Bronze medals in Judo Grand Slams in 2010 (Tokyo and Paris), and Silver in 2012 (Paris). She also won bronze in the Pan American games in Guadalajara in 2011.
Although Brazil has been a strong medal contender in judo for many years, the gold by Menezes is the first in judo since Rogerio Sampaio won one in Barcelona in 1992.
Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English
