More than 70 Portuguese athletes are qualified for the 2012 Olympics, which will take place in London between today and August 12. Almost 10% of the national representatives in the most important sport competition are from Rio Maior. Six ranked athletes between seven who reached the Olympic minimum.
The highlight is, of course, for the race walkers. Rio Maior have had in the last years some of the best race walking athletes, some of them already with impressive curriculums referring participations in past editions of the olympic games. João Vieira, Vera Santos and Inês Henriques will be in London at the start line to compete. Susana Feitor will be there as a substitute, once the feminine call includes Ana Cabecinha from the Algarve. Susana Feitor already participated in 5 Olympic editions, since Barcelona 1992.
The swimmer Pedro Oliveira, also from Rio Maior, is classified for the 200 meter backstroke swimming competition. These young athlete is actually on of the best portuguese swimmers having already achieved several national records. At last, we will be represented in the judo women´s competition – 78 Kgs by Yahima Ramirez.
The Rio Maior Sports Centre congratulates and wishes good luck to all these athletes. Their efforts achieved what any high performance athlete aims.
To those who struggled and didn’t reach it, we have a word of incentive and we thank you for all you done for the Portuguese sports and for the divulge of our county across borders.
What these athletes achieved now is also for us a recognition for our constant work, improving the sports facilities in the Rio Maior Sports Centre, keeping them in high levels of excellence.
Also, the services that we and the Portuguese Olympic Committee offer to the athletes in order to support high performance sport, certainly contributed to the participation of Rio Maior athletes at the Olympics.