Vanessa Spinola of Brazil (© Bruno Miani/CBAt)
2 July 2008When Orlane Lima dos Santos set the Heptathlon South American junior record of 5430 points at the Brazilian National junior championships on 22 May 1983, she never guessed that it would be the longest to ever stand in the record books of the area. More than a quarter of a century had to go by to see an improvement, and the person to produce the feat was compatriot Vanessa Chefer Spinola.
Spinola was born on 5 March 1990. At that time dos Santos was already competing in the Heptathlon as a second event, since in 1989 she had taken the Brazilian and South American High Jump records to 1.92. And although dos Santos’ Heptathlon record was threatened a few times by Brazilian Euzinete Reis (5424 – ’91) and Guyana’s Najuma Fletcher (5413 – ’93), it would only fall on 22 June 2008, when Spinola captured the National Junior title with a tally of 5467 points.
The making of an athlete
“At the age of 14, Vanessa started to come to the track with a group of kids, only to do some running. We can say that she really started training at the age of 15 when she made some new friends and joined my group,” says Hebe Scolfaro da Silva, Spinola’s coach and also mother and coach of Ivan Scolfaro da Silva, a 7825 points decathlete.
“At the beginning I gave Vanessa a 2-year period to learn the High Jump and Javelin throw, if she was to continue in the Heptathlon, since she was able to pick up the other events very quickly,” continues Hebe Scolfaro da Silva. “She is a quick learner, smart, and has great physical and psychological abilities.”
“I really love combined events,” expresses coach da Silva, “and I placed that seed in Vanessa. Then we focused on qualifying for the 2007 IAAF World Youth Championships in Ostrava and she was able to achieve that, in order to compete in the Czech Republic.”
To qualify for Ostrava, Spinola took the National youth title with a then PB of 5067. In Ostrava she was competing extremely well, placing eighth after 5 events, but 3 fouls in the Javelin pushed her back to only finish in twenty-first place with 4575 points.
“Vanessa was able to learn everything she knows in this past three years. She has tremendous potential, so everything comes easily, but beyond that she trains with great happiness, and that is just remarkable.”
Breaking a trend
As a general tendency, the South American records of combined events are all long-lasting. The Decathlon senior one was set by Argentina’s Tito Steiner (8291) on 23 June 1983, and the Heptathlon senior one by Maria da Conceição Aparecida Geremias Brasil (6017) on 25 August 1983.
“Generally few coaches work with combined events; also, not very often athletes with the physical and mental toughness that Vanessa possesses are able to emerge. Many think that there is very little financial return in combined events, but I truly believe that we can change that. At our club – Rede Atletismo – we have already implemented such valorization trying to break this tendency.”
Spinola ended her last season as a youth athlete with personal bests of 5067 (0.76m hurdles) and 4708 points.
In her first Hepathlon of 2008 (São Paulo, 8-9 March) she improved to 4814. A month later, in Rio de Janeiro (12-13 April) Spinola scored 4789, performing particularly well in the first day.
The next step of the season came at the Paulista junior championships, in São José do Rio Preto (24-25 May) and then, a massive improvement to 5308 put the record on sight.
The opportunity presented itself in Rio de Janeiro (21-22 June), at the National Junior Championships, and Spinola wouldn’t let it go. With a solid first day of 3300 points (14.3, 1.67 PB, 12.97 PB, 25.22), the hope was there. And it would be confirmed on the second day (5.71, 38.14 PB, 2:23.77), mostly, thanks to a massive improvement in the Javelin.
“It wasn’t a total surprise to reach the record. The 5308 performance from May was the indication that we were close. To be realistic, I try not to obsess with records by junior athletes, because I don’t think they are that important. Still, I became certain of it after the PB in Javelin,” says coach da Silva. “It made us all very happy, because the result puts Vanessa among the best in world”.
Building for the future
“Vanessa is an athlete who trains very well, and now she is extremely motivated. All her results are very balanced, and I think we need to continue working on her speed, in all its forms to continue her development. Today we have a great network of support thanks to a programme developed by the Brazilian Confederation with the sponsorship of the Sports Ministry and the national bank “Caixa Econômica Federal”. Our club also gives great support as all specialists coaches help each other tremendously. Then we also have the assistance of doctors, physical therapists and masseuse therapists who complete the team. With all those elements in hand, and the entire stimulus we get, we can only keep on growing.”
“The next step is the World Junior Championships. I believe that if we are able to train well in the final weeks before the event, Vanessa can make further improvements, perhaps to get closer to 5600 points. Yet, the main goal is still ahead. I have to continue analyzing her evolution, pick an individual event (or two) to compete on regular basis, which may be the Long Jump, and then, hope for the best, because this girl has a lot of potential,” concludes coach da Silva.
Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF
Vanessa Chefer Spinola
Born in São Paulo, 5 March 1990
1.88m, 72Kg
Club: Rede Atletismo
Coach: Hebe Scolfaro da Silva
At Heptathlon: National Youth Champion (2007), National Junior Champion (2008)
Personal bests: 200m: 24.93 ’07, 800m: 2:23.0 ’08, 100mH: 14.48 ’08, HJ: 1.67 ‘08, LJ: 5.88 ’07, SP: 12.97 ’08, JT: 38.14 ’08, Hep: 5467 ’08.
