CAMPEONATOS ESTADUAIS Rio de Janeiro: Kerinde Souza - Karen Lopes em primeiro lugar

Two champions at Rio de Janeiro State Championships Combined Events for Powerade team.

Or: CAMPEONATOS ESTADUAIS DE PROVAS COMBINADAS, In Portugese. The championships were held on our training venue: Escola Naval track. This home advantage was useful for the two Powerade athletes: Kerinde and Karen, in this first major combined event competition for the season 2014-2015.
Kerinde started well with a sub 11 in the one hundred meters dash, followed by a solid long jump. After that it was a bit up and down: good shot, below par in high jump en nice quarter mile lap to finish the day. For the second day he had something special in his mind: his best second day ever. Into a head wind the high hurdles proved to be an obstacle race after a bit of a slow start. The best score slipped out of sight. Solid throws in the discus competition were followed by good jumping in the most acrobatic event: pole vault  concluded with a personal best. The cross wind was bothering the athletes in the last two events: javelin and 1500 meters. Kerinde managed 6748 point just shy of his personal best scored last year and very close to the 7000 points barrier.

Karen ran into a 3 meter head wind to get silver position in the first event. The new technique in high jump is not consistent yet but looked very promising. Shot put was very consistent and it is just a matter of time that personal bests will follow, coach Renan commented. A good bent  put Karen in the lead for the 200 meter to finish in first. And with 3120 points for the first day she was in gold position. Nice performances in the second day made it look very easy. A 5200 was in the making but after a good 600 the last 200 proved to be too long: 2’34”09 totaled 5118 points (PB).

“This is our best start over the last two years”, said Gerard Lenting (head coach), "We, the coaches, are very pleased with the progress we see so far. This competition proved to us we are on the right track and are looking forward to the big meets in April at the Sao Bernardo track –Copa Brasil- and May – The Trofeu Brasil-. There is more to come and the scores will get bigger and bigger”.  Next week the athletes will compete in Sao Paulo for another combined event challenge" the Dutchman said.

(Thanks to all who supported our athletes this two days for Powerade: Renan (coach) Esmerino (psychologist) Natalia (physiotherapist) Daniel (nutritionist) and Thiago (team manager). Plus: FARJ, officials and the Sports/Physical Education department at Escola Naval.

Karen Maria Cerqueira Lopes; 1=

14.44/1.56/11.76/25”19/= 3120 day I

5.54/38.79/2’34”09/= 1998 day II

= 5118 total

Kerinde de Souza Brites da Silva; 1=

10.92/6.74/12.10/1.80/49.79/=3694 day I

15.43/34.36/4.20/42.31/5.00.72= 3055 day II

= 6748 total