Jucilene Sales de Lima of Brazil (© Eduardo Biscayart)
Brazil has a rich tradition in sprinting, jumping, and lately distance running. Yet some fine throwers have emerged in the past decade.
Some of the names, such as José Araújo de Souza (Shot/Discus) or Sueli Pereira dos Santos (Javelin) are no longer competing. Others, like Elisângela Adriano (Shot/Discus) or Luiz Fernando da Silva (Javelin) are at the final years of their careers, while others, as Júlio César Miranda de Oliveira (Javelin), represent the future. A brilliant future.
Miranda de Oliveira brought the South American nation their latest World title at the 2003 IAAF Youth Championships in Sherbrooke, and someone who is willing to follow that path is Jucilene Sales de Lima, a 14 year-old girl from the state of Paraíba, who is also a Javelin thrower.
Sales de Lima just improved the South American Under-18 record last 25 June in Rio de Janeiro, at the Brazilian National Youth Championships with a 48.58 metres toss, and in spite of her age, she hopes to do very well at the upcoming IAAF World Youth Championships in Marrakech.
João Paulo Alves da Cunha, the coach of Adriano and Miranda de Oliveira, also advices Sales de Lima, and he approach Marrakech with simple goals.
“I’m hoping she can throw over 50 metres, since our goal for the season is to finish the year between 50 and 52.”
“At this point she trains just like any other thrower, tough we have to be careful not to push her so much. We can’t forget she’s only 14.”
“To me in particular, she doesn’t generate any extra pressure. Just the challenge of having a precious jewel, like Miranda de Oliveira, in the very same event”, says Alves da Cunha.
“Our goals are long time ones. The next one is to reach 57 meters by 2007, but we want to continue the improvements step by step, throw by throw,” adds the coach.
Jucilene Sales the Lima is the younger sister of Jaílma Sales de Lima, who finished fourth in the Heptathlon at the 2003 IAAF World Youth Championships in Sherbrooke. Jucilene doesn’t hesitate to point out that her older sister has been her greatest influence in her young athletics career.
“I began at school, pushed by my sister. She has always been a great supporter.”
“My first coaches were my school teachers, Vera, Luiz Alcídes, and Pedro Pereira de Almeida, but I owe a lot to my actual coach, João Paulo, for whom I have no words to express how thankful I am to him.”
“I’m just hoping to arrive in good form to Marrakech, but I won’t deny that I already feel some pressure. Still, my goals are to improve my personal best and to fight for the podium, if that’s possible”.
“Yet, the feeling of representing Brazil is something wonderful, and it’s hard to explain how I emotional I will feel at the crucial moment of the competition.”
Jucilene Sales de Lima
Born in Taperoa, Paraíba, on 14 September 1990 - 1.72m, 63kg.
Coach: João Paulo Alves da Cunha.
Club: BM&F Atletismo
Progression at JT: 2004: 48.04; 2005: 48.58
2005 performances
46.04 São Caetano do Sul 19 March
47.48 São Caetano do Sul 29 May
47.58 São Paulo 19 June (National Championships; 3rd place)
48.58 Rio de Janeiro 25 June (South American youth record and National junior record)
Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF
