Rafael Silva (judoka)
Brazilian judoka
Rafael Carlos da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʁafaˈɛw ˈsiwvɐ]; born 11 May 1987) is a Brazilian heavyweight judoka. He has three Olympic bronze medals (London 2012, Rio 2016, and Paris 2024) in addition to having 4 individual medals in World Judo Championships (one silver and three bronze), in addition to being a six-time Pan American Judo champion.
Early life
Born in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, and raised in Rolândia, in the interior of Paraná, Silva only discovered judo at the age of 15, a very old age for top athletes. The difficulties brought about by the late start in the sport, such as the lack of technique and the basic fundamentals of judo, were overcome with a lot of training. With this, he managed to ascend quickly. In 2005 Rafael already represented Brazil internationally, even though he had only been in the sport for 3 years, and in 2006 Silva competed in the World Judo Juniors Championships in Santo Domingo. But it was in 2010 that Silva's results began to appear more prominently.
International career
2010–2012
At the 2010 South American Games he won three gold medals: in the Men's +100 kg, Men's Open and Men's Team category.
In 2010, Silva competed in his first adult world championship, at the 2010 World Judo Championships, when he finished in fifth place.
In 2011, Silva competed in the Pan American Games for the first time, in Guadalajara, placing second in the Men's +100 kg category after losing the final to Cuban Oscar Bryson.
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