Brazil selects London 2012 Olympic team members

by Christine Mendes on 8 Mar 2012 With the Brazilian Sailing Week having taken place back in February, the Brazilian Sailing team is nearly complete with Jorge Zarif (Finn), Adriana Kostiw (Laser Radial), Bruno Fontes (Laser Standart), Patrícia Feritas (RS:X), Ricardo Winicki (RS:X) and Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada (Star) all booking places for London 2012.

The Women's 470 crew will be selected in April during the Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofia. Fernanda Oliveira and Ana Barbachan and Martine Grael and Isabel Swan are tied in the Olympic Selection Process and will sail in Palma de Mallorca for the Olympic spot. The pair with the best overall result will make the Olympic Team.

Brazilian sailors will try to qualify the male crew in Barcelona's 470 World Championship and the 49er crew during Zadar's 49er World Championship.

Two time World Champions and Star world ranking leaders Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada will be sailing for a second Olympic medal in Weymouth. The crew finished first in 10 consecutive championships in 2011, including Skandia Sail for Gold and the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta, Olympic Test Event.

I have to deal with favouritism since my first Olympics in 1996. I know that we are the ones to beat and we will fight to maintain the title streak in Weymouth, Robert Scheidt said.

And on the team as whole Scheidt said, We have put up a very strong team for the Olympics. We have a mix of young talent and experience that can lead to very good results. I see the female 470 crew, both RS:X sailors, Bruno Fontes in the Laser class and ourselves with a good chance to win medals.

In the RS: X class, veteran Ricardo Winicki Santos looks for an Olympic medal to go with his 2007 World Championship title. Veterans from the Beijing Olympics, Patricia Freitas (RS:X) and Bruno Fontes (Laser) are also hoping for a podium finish.

Adriana Kostiw is back in Olympic Games. She was bowman for Fernanda Oliveira in Athens 2004 but will sail in the Laser Radial class in London.

Jorge Zarif is the youngest sailor in the team at just 19-years-old. 'My goal is a medal in Rio-2016. I want to use the London Olympics to gain experience and maybe finish in the top ten, said Zarif.