4 minute read
SPORT DISCOVERY
Let the
GAMES BEGIN
RIO HAS NEVER HAD TO WAIT FOR THE OLYMPICS (5-21 AUGUST) TO GET ITS GAME ON. THE LAVISH LANDSCAPES OF MOUNTAINS, FORESTS AND BEACHES GIVE FANS OF NEARLY EVERY SPORT AN UNPARALLELED OUTDOOR PLAYGROUND. ANY TIME, DAY OR NIGHT, ALL YEAR ROUND, CARIOCAS HAVE AT THEIR FINGERTIPS A THOUSAND AND ONE WAYS TO STAY IN SHAPE.
By Guillaume Jan Photos Mickaël A. Bandassak
NATHALIA MAGALHÕES DE SOUZA, AGE 20
“IT’S SIMPLE: THERE ARE REALLY NO RULES IN ALTINHA. You have to keep the ball in the air for as long as possible without using your hands – like a game of solo or group keepie-uppie. And that’s where it gets complicated, because it requires a lot of precision and technique! Altinha is played everywhere, but especially by the sea in Rio, where it was invented forty years ago. It’s not an Olympic sport and, in fact, there’s no competition, no winner – it’s a form of entertainment more than anything else. I tend to surf more during the week, but on weekends, when there are too many people out in the waves, I prefer altinha. I can juggle the ball by myself for a full five minutes. You want me to show you?”
ALTINHA WAS INVENTED ON THE BEACHES OF RIO
I TEACH AFROVIBE BY THE SEA
I WAS ON THE OLYMPIC WATER POLO TEAM
MARYAM KABA, AGE 37
“I GREW UP IN FRANCE AND WAS A COMPETITIVE GYMNAST and sports coach there. When I discovered Rio in 2012, I decided to settle here and start classes in Afrovibe, a very dynamic African dance that uses all the muscles in the body. I give classes right on the seafront, a huge playground in itself. People practice infinite forms of exercise there. Cariocas take care of their bodies, but the beauty standards aren’t the same as in Europe: here, you work on shapeliness. The ideal for women is fleshy buttocks, round thighs, and the men are fairly muscular. Cariocas like to have a good tan, too, and your tan lines are yet another beauty criterion.”
ROBERTO “BETINHO” MARQUES, AGE 27
“FOR FOUR YEARS, I WAS ON THE OLYMPIC WATER POLO TEAM. I was paid by my club and received a government scholarship. I trained six hours a day. In the morning, I did weight training and swam laps; we played in the evening. That whole era of intense preparation is behind me now; I no longer do pool competitions, but I still play matches in open water – lakes, waterfalls. I have more personal time to go swimming at Copacabana or Ipanema and drink coconut water! That’s what I missed the most when I was on the national team.”
NICOLAS ARANTES, AGE 27
“I LIVE FAR FROM THE BEACHES, but I managed to find a job near the sea: I’m a salesperson for a company that makes automatic ticket barriers. I surf every day on my lunch break or in the evening. Each beach has its own kind of waves; I choose my spot based on the wind direction. It’s a solitary sport that requires patience, and that gives you the freedom to lose yourself completely in the marine elements and atmosphere. I love to feel the power of the ocean, to become one with it when I catch a good wave. There are so many people in Rio who surf; it’s a very common sport here for both boys and girls.”
I MANAGED TO FIND A JOB NEAR THE SEA
MARCIA WEINZETTL, AGE 48
“FOR EIGHT YEARS, I WAS THE TOP BRAZILIAN WOMAN in the international ranking for futevôlei, as they call it here. This sport, which pits two teams of two players against each other on an 18-metre-long pitch, combines both volleyball and football (soccer) techniques. The ball can be touched by all parts of the body except the hands and arms. Futevôlei was created in the mid-Sixties on Copacabana beach before it spread to other coastal cities in Brazil and, eventually, to beaches in other parts of the world. But for now, this discipline isn’t played in enough countries to become an Olympic sport.”
VICTORIA LOVELADY, AGE 29
“GOLF CALLS FOR TECHNIQUE AND CONCENTRATION, but also a lot of creativity and instinct to be able to succeed every time. I decided to become a professional golfer at the age of 16 and am currently the leading Brazilian woman in the world ranking. If I make it through the final selection stages, I’ll participate in the Olympic Games this summer. Golf isn’t yet widely played in Brazil, as few can afford most golf course fees, but I hope the Olympics will help democratise the sport. The Barra da Tijuca course will open to the public after the Games and that would be a great chance for Cariocas to try their hand at it, don’t you think?”
I HOPE THE OLYMPICS WILL HELP DEMOCRATISE GOLF
