Born: 1991 (Porto Alegre, Brazil)
Biography:
Mayra Aguiar da Silva, born on August 3, 1991, is a Brazilian judoka who has made a significant impact in the world of judo. Throughout her career, she has achieved remarkable feats and become one of the most talented Brazilian judokas in history.
Mayra was born and raised in Porto Alegre, Brazil. She discovered her passion for judo at a young age and began her training under the guidance of Kiko (Antônio Carlos Pereira). She trained alongside notable judokas such as João Derly and Tiago Camilo, who also served as her sporting idols.
In 2007, at the age of 16, Mayra competed at the Pan American Games and won a silver medal in the middleweight category. The following year, she represented Brazil at the Beijing Olympic Games. Although she lost her only match with Spanish judoka Leire Iglesias, her participation in the Olympics marked the beginning of her journey on the international stage.
However, in December 2008, Mayra suffered a serious injury to her right knee, which forced her to take a break from judo training for nearly ten months. Undeterred by this setback, she made a remarkable comeback in September 2009.
In 2010, Mayra faced another challenge when she suffered an injury and had to change her weight category from middleweight to half-heavyweight. Despite this change, she displayed her resilience and went on to win a gold medal at the Pan American Judo Championships. Later that year, she participated in the World Judo Championships, where she secured the silver medal after losing the final match to Kayla Harrison from the United States.
Mayra’s breakthrough moment came in 2012 when she won the bronze medal at the London Olympics. Throughout the tournament, she showcased her skills by winning three matches by ippon. However, her journey to the gold medal was halted by Kayla Harrison, who defeated her in the semifinals. Nonetheless, Mayra’s performance earned her a well-deserved spot on the podium and established her as a force to be reckoned with in the judo world.
Building on the momentum from her Olympic success, Mayra became a world champion in 2014 by defeating French judoka Audrey Tcheuméo in the final. With her exceptional skills and the home advantage of Brazil hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics, she was considered the favorite to win the gold medal. Although she faced a tough semifinal match against Tcheuméo, which resulted in her being defeated on penalties, Mayra bounced back to win the bronze medal once again, solidifying her status as one of Brazil’s finest athletes.
Mayra’s achievements continued to pile up over the years. She won her second world championship title in 2017 and added another bronze medal to her collection at the 2020 Summer Olympics, making her a three-time Olympic bronze medalist. Her performances have not only inspired a new generation of judokas in Brazil but have also cemented her place in women’s judo history.
Awards:
– Bronze Medal, 2012 Summer Olympics – Half-Heavyweight (−78 kg) category
– Bronze Medal, 2016 Summer Olympics – Half-Heavyweight (−78 kg) category
– Bronze Medal, 2020 Summer Olympics – Women’s 78 kg event
– World Champion, 2014 World Judo Championships – Half-Heavyweight (−78 kg) category
– World Champion, 2017 World Judo Championships – Half-Heavyweight (−78 kg) category
– World Champion, 2022 World Judo Championships – Half-Heavyweight (−78 kg) category
– Gold Medal, 2010 Pan American Judo Championships – Half-Heavyweight (−78 kg) category
– Silver Medal, 2010 World Judo Championships – Half-Heavyweight (−78 kg) category
– Silver Medal, 2019 Pan American Games – Half-Heavyweight (−78 kg) category
– Silver Medal, 2019 World Judo Championships – Half-Heavyweight (−78 kg) category
– Silver Medal, 2021 World Judo Championships – Half-Heavyweight (−78 kg) category
– Multiple-time Pan American Championships medalist in the Half-Heavyweight (−78 kg) category