The target proposed by the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB) - for the country to finish in the top seven in the London Paralympics and in the top five in at the Rio 2016 Games - is materialising little by little. After six days of competition in the British capital, Brazil is in the seventh position on the medal table, having scooped up 21 podiums: ten gold, seven silver and four bronze.

The results reached already prove that Brazilian Paralympic athletes are ever more improving their performance and are well prepared to face any team, at the physical as well as psychological level. The results achieved until now are fruit of a well-planned work cycle, which required training and investment from the federal government.  All of these factors, combined with the will to win, were fundamental to the success of our athletes.

The good performance put on by Brazil is consequence of a partnership between the federal government and CPB in the development of parasports in recent years. With targets and actions anticipated until 2016, a detailed and carefully developed plan has started to materialise itself, with the transfer of R$ 19.2 million from the Ministry of Sport for the preparation of athletes and teams for the swimming, athletics, shooting, goalball, 5-a-side football and equestrian events, for competitions held in Brazil and abroad, as well as exchange endeavours and the purchase of equipment.  

Investments in parasports have confirmed Brazil?s favouritism in several sports at the London Games.  Together, since Brazil?s debut in the Paralympics in Toronto, Canada in 1976, 50 medals have been won in the swimming, athletics, shooting, goalball, 5-a-side football and equestrian events.

Athlete Grant Programme
The Athlete Grant Programme of the Ministry of Sport benefits 156 out of the 182 athletes of the Brazilian Paralympic delegation (85%). For example, out of 10 5-a-side football players, 6 are beneficiaries of the programme. The whole athletics team - 35 athletes - are beneficiaries of the federal government programme.

Athletics was responsible for one of the most surprising and thrilling victories of the London Paralympic Games. Last Sunday (02.09), Alan Fonteles from Brazil received a standing ovation from a completely crowded Olympic Stadium as he overtook South African legend Oscar Pistorius in the 200m T44 race. Alan won the event with the time of 21.45 seconds. "I trained for this and I?m very happy", said the athlete.