2011 SU Update: Olympic Triple Jump Champion Évora returns to defend his 2009 SU Gold

SHENZHEN –Portugal will be present at Shenzhen Universiade with 32 athletes, 7 coaches and 2 international referees (Gymnastics), 53 delegates in total.

Portugal will compete in nine different sports: Golf, Chess, Table Tennis, Fencing, Artistic Gymnastics, Judo, Athletics, Taekwondo and Swimming.

All athletes were selected by the Portuguese National Sport Federation of each sport. Sportive criteria were approved between the Head of Delegation, FADU and NSF’s, in a friendly cooperation environment.

The delegation brings some medal contenders: Nélson Évora, Sara Moreira and Sónia Tavares, from Athletics. Taekwondo fighters, Rui Bragança, Nuno Costa and Eduardo Rodrigues. Joaquim Videira, Fencing and Luís Araújo, competing within the Gymnastic team.

Nélson Évora (Triple Jump) studies at the Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon. He won the Gold Medal at the 2008 Olympic Games and the previous Universiade inBelgradein 2009. He was also 2007 World Champion (Osaka) and 2009 World Vice-Champion in Berlin.

Sara Moreira (3,000 m steeplechase & 5,000m) is a student at the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, with two Gold Medals in the last Universiade – Belgrade 2009 (with a Universiade Record 3,000m Steeplechase) and a Gold Medal in the last WUC Cross Country 2010 in Kingston. She was also 6th on the 3,000m in the World Championship Indoor (Doha, Qatar 2010) and a 3rd place – Team Competition World Cross Country (Amman, Jordania 2009).

Sónia Tavares (100m and 200m), studies at the University of Lisbon. She won the Bronze Medal at the 2009 SU (100m).

Luís Araújo (Artistic Gymnastics) will be present at Universiade for the third time. He won the Silver Medal at the 2007 Universiade in Bangkok (Vault). He is a student at the Higher School of Tourism of Estoril.

Rui Bragança is a Taekwondo athlete (-58kg). He is the 2011 World vice-champion. He will compete at Universiade for the first time. Nuno Costa (-63Kg) and Eduardo Rodrigues (-74Kg) both won a bronze medal at the World University Championships – Vigo’2010. They are all students from the University of Minho.

Joaquim Videira (Fencing) studies sports at the Tecnhical University of Lisbon and was a world vice-champion in Torino,Italy. He is the most “experienced” student at the Universiade. This will be the fourth time for Videira!

(Source: André Fernandes, FADU)