Vanessa Cristina de Souza

Vanessa Cristina de Souza
de Souza racing in the 2018 Boston Marathon
Personal information
Born (1989-11-20) 20 November 1989 (age 34)
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Home townPraia Grande, São Paulo, Brazil
Sport
SportWheelchair racing
Disability classT54
ClubTime Naurú [pt]
Achievements and titles
Paralympic finals2020
Medal record
Para athletics
Representing  Brazil
Parapan American Games
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Santiago 400m T54

Vanessa Cristina de Souza (born 20 November 1989)[1] is a Brazilian wheelchair racer, who came fourth at the 2021 Boston and Chicago Marathons. She competed in multiple events at the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics.

Personal life

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De Souza is from Praia Grande, São Paulo, Brazil. At the age of 24, de Souza was involved in a motorcycle accident, and had her left leg amputated.[2]

Career

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De Souza started competing in wheelchair racing eight months after her motorcycle accident.[2] She trains at Time Naurú [pt].[3] In Brazil, de Souza has won the Saint Silvester Road Race on three occasions, most recently in 2019.[4] She won the 2017 event despite completing the last 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) with a flat tyre.[5] She has also won the São Paulo Half Marathon,[2] and is the national record holder in the marathon, half marathon and 10 km events.[6]

In 2018, she won the Lisbon Half Marathon in a photo finish with Margriet van den Broek; both racers were given the same time of 58:43.[7] She finished sixth and last of the finishers at the 2018 Boston Marathon.[1][8] In the same year, she finished fourth in the Oita International Wheelchair Marathon, in a personal best time of 1:45:19.[1] She came fourth at the 2019 Singapore Marathon.[9] De Souza won the 2020 Los Angeles Marathon in a time of 1:59:51.[10] In the same year, she won the Seville Marathon, in a time of 1:40:27.[11] Her time was a Brazilian national record,[12] although she was 37 seconds outside the qualification time for the 2020 Summer Paralympics.[2] She was named the Americas Paralympic Committee Athlete of the Month for February 2020.[11][13] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was unable to compete at the 2020 London Marathon[2] or 2021 Grandma's Marathon.[14]

De Souza competed in the 5,000 metres T54 at the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics. She finished eighth in the final in a personal best time of 11:18:02.[15] She also came eighth in the 1,500 metres T54,[16] 12th in the marathon T54 event, racing with a back injury,[17] and was part of the Brazilian team that came last in their heat of the mixed 4 × 100 metres relay.[18] Later in the year, she came seventh at the 2021 London Marathon,[19] fourth at the Boston[20] and Chicago Marathons[21] and fifth at the New York City Marathon.[22]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "WORLD PARA ATHLETICS MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIP" (PDF). London Marathon. 2019. p. 72. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e ""Santos mudou minha vida", diz paratleta de olho em Tóquio" (in Portuguese). Santos Government. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Naurú". Time Naurú [pt]. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Vanessa Cristina é campeã entre os cadeirantes da 95ª Corrida de São Silvestre". GloboNews (in Portuguese). 1 January 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Leonardo de Melo e Vanessa de Souza ganham São Silvestre na categoria cadeirante". Gazeta Sportiva (in Portuguese). 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Vanessa Cristina" (in Portuguese). Nauru. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Stormy weather – EDP Lisbon Half Marathon – Sun 11 March 2018". German Road Races. 11 March 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  8. ^ "The Top 10 Finishers At The 2018 Boston Marathon". Women's Running. 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon marks a new chapter in sporting history with successful First Evening Race". Outdoor Sports Wire. 30 November 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  10. ^ "These are the winners of the 2020 Los Angeles Marathon". CNN. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Wheelchair racer Cristina de Souza named APC Athlete of Month for February". Inside the Biz. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  12. ^ "Paratleta de Santos bate vence a Maratona de Sevilha e bate recorde". Boq News (in Portuguese). 25 February 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  13. ^ "Vanessa Cristina de Souza named Americas 'Athlete of the Month'". International Paralympic Committee. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Grandma's Marathon notebook: Top wheelchair racers denied entry into United States". Duluth News Tribune. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Vanessa Cristina de Souza fica em 8º nos 5000m da classe T54 na Paralímpiada". Olimpíada Todo Dia (in Portuguese). 28 August 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  16. ^ "Final results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Brazil closes participation in Paralympics in seventh place in medal tally". Sprout Wired. 5 September 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Heat 1 results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Leaderboard: Wheelchair T53/T54". London Marathon. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  20. ^ "Results". Boston Marathon. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  21. ^ "2021 Chicago Marathon". Chicago Marathon. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  22. ^ "TCS New York City Marathon 2021: Wheelchair Women". New York Road Runners. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
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