The Brazilian Canoe Confederation (CBCa) is celebrating the accomplishment of a successful three-year mission after recovering from the depths of bankruptcy to achieve an historic Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.
Three years ago, the governing body for paddle sports in Brazil was on the verge of collapse.
Facing a financial crisis, the then debt-ridden CBCa announced bankruptcy, suspended its activities and was forced to lay off all of its employees.
Rafael Girotto was the First Vice President before accepting the role of President in 2021 with the challenge of bringing the CBCa back from the brink.
“When we took over the confederation, it no longer had a headquarters, employees, nor was it able to receive funds,” said Mr Girotto.
“We had to start working to reverse this situation.
“We adopted two approaches.
“On the technical side, we kept what was working and did everything we could to provide support and create a work structure that was simple but efficient.
“On the administrative side, we looked for qualified professionals willing to contribute to Brazilian sport voluntarily, without receiving funds.”
With Mr. Girotto at the helm, the CBCa has undergone an administrative and financial restructuring to ensure it can operate with stability.
“The financial situation is better and under control,” said Mr Girotto.
“We are now able to receive funds and with that, we have been able to restructure ourselves.
“We have a qualified team, a headquarters and the resources to support our athletes, both in training and in national and international competitions.”
With the CBCa back on a stronger footing, the national teams have gone on to thrive on the global stage.
In Canoe Sprint, Isaquias Guimaraes Queiroz achieved his fifth Olympic medal with a men’s canoe single 1000m silver at Paris 2024.
Brazil did not pick up a medal in Canoe Slalom at the Games but there were strong performances with Ana Satila ranking fourth in the women’s kayak and fifth in the women’s canoe.
The Paralympic Games saw Brazil deliver fantastic results as the team finished with four medals.
There was a Brazilian one-two in the men’s VL2 as Fernando Rufino de Paulo won gold and his good friend Igor Alex Tofalini sealed silver.
Luis Carlos Cardoso da Silva secured silver in the men’s KL1 while Miquéias Elias Rodrigues bagged the men’s KL3 bronze.
“The work and all the effort were worth it,” said Mr Girotto.
“When we took over the CBCa, we had a mission: to solve the problems of the past, not create new ones and not let their resolution hinder the athletes' performance.
“Looking at the results, I conclude that the mission was successful.
“Both Games were well staged and had an excellent structure.
“The fact that Canoe Slalom and Canoe Sprint were held in the same complex was a big difference.
“Having the same number of men's and women's quotas helped to make the Games more equal, and an example of how the world should be.
“As for Brazil's performance, I believe it crowned all the hard work of the cycle.”
Brazil sent its largest delegation to both the Olympics and Paralympics with six paddlers in Canoe Sprint, two in Canoe Slalom and eight in Paracanoe.
This year has also seen Brazil hold 25 national and international competitions.
“We had three highlights,” said Mr Girotto.
“They were the four Paralympic medals, which is the best campaign for Brazilian canoeing at the Paralympic Games; fourth place in the Canoe Slalom, also Brazil's best result at the Olympic Games; and the record number of Olympic quotas won by Brazil at the Olympic Games in the Canoe Sprint, winning a total of eight quotas.”
Asked what the future holds for the sport in Brazil, Mr Girotto added: “I hope that Brazilian canoeing will increasingly consolidate its position among the world's powers in all disciplines.”
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