230 athletes from Brazil will compete at the games in Argentina

Swimmer Stephanie Balduccini and taekwondo practitioner Henrique Fernandes were announced as Brazil's flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the Rosario 2022 South American Youth Games. The competition starts on Thursday 28 April and will be held in Argentina.

At the games in Rosario, Argentina, 230 athletes from Brazil under the age of 18 will compete in 26 sports. Stephanie Balduccini is one of the most famous swimmers of the new generation of Brazilian swimmers. She was the youngest member of the Brazilian team at the Tokyo Olympics and a few months later shone at the Cali Youth Games, winning seven gold medals.

“I will be pleased to represent my country. It is a recognition of my achievements in sport. I'm having a tough week of training because I qualified for the World Championships, but I'll do my best," Stephanie said in a statement released by the Brazilian Olympic Committee.

Henrique Fernandes is 18 and a fortnight ago he won bronze at the Rio Open. In February 2022, he won the national adult qualification tournament, joining the main Brazilian taekwondo team that will compete at the Pan American and World Championships in the 80kg category.

“I am very surprised, I did not expect this. I have been preparing for this moment and… I will give my 100% on and off the arena. Each championship is unique and we prepare a lot,” said Henrique Fernandes.

The competition, organised by the Brazilian Olympic Committee, features athletes from 14 sports who arrived in Rosario on a charter flight in the first wave on Tuesday, 26 April, while judoists and karateists will arrive on Saturday, 30 April.

The announcement was made with reference to the TV CULTURA daily, a partner of the TV BRICS network.

Photo: TV CULTURA