Brazil has participated in every single edition of The Olympics since 1920, barring the 1928 edition, and has won a total of 129 medals.
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Brazil was the host of the 2016 Olympics. The Games that year had taken place in the city of Rio de Janeiro. It did eventually become a stage for the nation to write brand new sporting history, especially since the country as a whole at the time was not doing so well in sporting terms. The nation has participated in every single version of The Games since 1920, barring the 1928 edition. They have won a total of 129 medals, including 30 gold medals, 36 silver medals, and 63 bronze medals. Historically, the nation has done exceptionally well in Judo with 22 medals. They have also won 23 medals in volleyball (13 in beach volleyball and 10 in indoor volleyball). Sailing is also one of the nation’s strong points as they have bagged 18 medals in that sport so far.
This year as well, the Brazilian faithful will be hopeful of medals in Sailing, Volleyball, and Judo. The country will send 13 athletes for sailing, 13 for judo, and 32 for volleyball. What the country will also be hoping would be the top prize in the world’s most popular sport, football. Brazil, traditionally, has been one of the homes of the beautiful game. They have boasted of world-class players and world-beating squads. Their latest footballing success came in the 2016 Olympics when they won the gold medal. What makes that success even more special is that they did it in their own backyard, and it was their superstar Neymar who scored the winning penalty in the final. Replicating a previous success might be an incredibly difficult task, but it is not impossible.
Brazil’s best year at the Olympics is the previous edition of The Games. What might have helped the athletes deliver a performance better than usual, is undeniably home support. The South American nation won a total of 19 medals, which included seven gold medals, six silver medals, and six bronze medals. They were ranked 13th overall, which is their best ever ranking coming out of an Olympics.
While they will not have the backing of their adoring home fans, they will have the will and skills to match the tally. History has shown us that Brazilian sides are almost guaranteed to bag medals in Judo, Sailing, Volleyball, and football among others. Swimming also seems like one of the sports where the Brazilians can earn a medal, as they will send a total of 27 athletes in the sport. They have won a total of 14 medals in the sport, including one gold medal, four silver medals, and nine bronze medals. One of those bronze medals came at the 2016 Games.
When it comes to looking at Brazil’s best athletes at the Olympics by medals, Robert Scheidt and Torben Grael lead the pack with five medals each. Unsurprisingly, both athletes belong to a sport that the nation is strong at, Sailing. From 1996 to 2012, Scheidt won five consecutive medals in the sport. He won two gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal.
Grael, on the other hand, might not have won five consecutive medals, but he still is a legend of Sailing. He won medals in 1984, 1988, 1996, 2000, and 2004. He won two gold medals, one silver medal, and two bronze medals. Unfortunately for Brazil, neither of the two will be an athlete in the upcoming Olympics. However, they do not need to worry about sailing as they have always produced athletes that are good in that sport.
Only marginally behind the two is Sergio Santos with a total of four medals. Unlike the two, he is not someone who participates in Sailing. Santos is a volleyball player, another sport in which the South American nation excels. The four medals he has won include two gold medals and two silver medals. One of those gold medals came in the 2016 Rio Games. The other three came in the three previous editions of the Games. Santos might not be a part of the team for the upcoming Games, but the nation’s volleyball contingent has always been one to look out for and this year should be no different.
Brazil’s focus will be on a number of sports ahead of Tokyo 2020. There are several sports where Brazilian athletes excel at present. Of course, Sailing, Judo, and Volleyball have always been their strong points. One can easily bet on them bringing back a medal in those particular sports. This time, they have a very good chance of bagging medals in sports like Swimming, Athletics, and Football.
The South American nation will send 52 athletes to participate in Athletics. They have previously won 17 medals in the sport and they will be looking to increase that tally. In swimming as well, the country will send a number of athletes to bag a medal. They did win one bronze medal in the sport in Rio and will look to improve on that performance. When it comes to football, Brazil can never be out of the question. The first team might not participate, but Brazilian footballers have always been full of talent, skill, and hard work. Thus, Brazil also have a serious chance of replicating their performance and bringing home a gold medal.
