Telma Montero dreams of a new podium on a crucial handball day

At 33 years old, Joao Pereira was excited to show that fifth place in the triathlon at Rio 2016 wasn’t just an opportunity, like silver at the 2019 European Championships.

Judoka Thelma Monteiro is currently searching for her second Olympic podium in Tokyo 2020, on a day when she could surprise a triathlon and her handball team have a crucial challenge in their aspirations for the Games.

At 35, on her fifth Olympic appearance, the all-time Portuguese judoka will attempt to return to the podium and thus repeat the Rio 2016 feat, when she won the bronze medal in the -57kg category. category.

The tatami in the legendary Nippon Budokan pavilion, the home of Japanese martial arts, will have the 10th in the rankings begin its journey, against Cote d’Ivoire Zuleha Abzeta Dapon, 38, from 11 a.m. (3). : 00 in Lisbon).

In the event of victory, the Portuguese standard-bearer will face, along with Nelson Évora, the winner of the battle between his “old acquaintances”, Polish Julia Kowalczyk (14th place), who faced off once and won, and Hungarian Hedvig Karakas (12th), with whom he achieved seven victories In nine duels.

If she makes it to the quarter-finals, she is likely to find Portuguese-Canadian Jessica Klimkett, the world leader in her class and has never defeated Thelma in three matches.

At 33 years old, Joao Pereira was excited to show that fifth place in the triathlon at Rio 2016 wasn’t just an opportunity, like silver at the 2019 European Championships.

A year younger, Joao Silva’s best result was ninth in London 2012 – he was 35th in Brazil – and days of inspiration such as the one that awarded him a silver medal at the first European Games in Baku in 2015.

After a false start in the second set, with a 37-31 defeat against Egypt in the first official match for the Portuguese wing in a collective manner at the Olympic Games, Portugal became without a margin for error against Bahrain, which almost surprised Sweden with a 32-31 loss.

At Yoyogi National Stadium, Paulo Pereira’s students need a win to try to be one of the top four in “football”, from six teams, in order to advance to the quarter-finals.

In surfing, in their Olympic debut, Teresa Bonfalot and Yolanda Sekera were already in the third round, and at the very least, the Olympic diplomas, reserved for the top eight, could start to appear at Tsurigasaki Beach, in Chiba.

Bonfalot is vying to reach the quarter-finals with experienced Brazilian Silvana Lima, 36, and world runner-up in 2008 and 2009, starting at 10:00 (02:00).

Yohann Davy, the first Frenchwoman to reach the world surf circuit and currently second in the hierarchy, behind American Carissa Moore, will be Yolanda’s competitor.

In table tennis, Thiago Apollonia, 57th in the Olympic standings, starts at 10:00 (02:00) the second round with the famous Indian Kamal Ashanta, 29, his former teammate in India, where they went to the champions.

At the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Fu Yu (55th) plays in the second round against Sutitha Mukherjee of India (100th), while Marcus Freitas (24th) starts only in the third round, against Austrian Daniel Habson (48th).) .

In swimming, Tamilla Hollub and Diana Dorais participate in the 1500m heats, in an effort to set a new national record, with qualification for the final, dedicated to the eight most complex players.

Carolina Joao competed in the third and fourth races in the Laser Radial sailing class, finishing 37th with 66 points after the 24-year-old clinched 32nd and 34th in the first races.