Wania Monteiro

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Wania Monteiro
Born (1986-08-09) 9 August 1986 (age 38)
Santa Catarina
Height170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Gymnastics career
Discipline Rhythmic gymnastics
Country
represented
Flag of Cape Verde.svg  Cape Verde
Assistant coach(es)Santa Catarina, Santiago
Medal record
African Gymnastics Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2004 Thiès Hoop
Gold medal icon (G initial).svgCape Town 2006Clubs
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2004 Thiès All-Around
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svgCape Town 2006Rope
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svgCape Town 2006Ball
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svgCape Town 2006Ribbon

Wania Monteiro (born 9 August 1986) is a Cape Verdean former individual rhythmic gymnast who competed at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. She was the first gymnast from Cape Verde to compete at the Olympic Games.

Contents

Early life

Monteiro was born 9 August 1986 in Santa Catarina, Santiago. [1] She was trained by Elena Atmacheva. [2] Time noted that she often trained "in a dilapidated gym with ceilings too low to accommodate a proper hoop or ball toss", due to a lack of adequate facilities in Cape Verde. [3]

Career

Monteiro competed at the 2001 World Championships, [4] and two years later, she competed at the 2003 World Championships, where she finished in 106th place. [5]

At the 2004 African Championships, Monteiro placed third in the all-around and also won gold in the hoop final. The Cape Verdean team placed second in the team competition. [6]

Monteiro received a tripartite invitation to represent her country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, [7] and she was Cape Verde's flag bearer during the Games's opening ceremony. [8] She was also the first gymnast from Cape Verde to compete in the Olympic Games. She said of the experience, "I'm here to show that in Cape Verde we don't have conditions to train, but maybe if we had more conditions, we would have better gymnastics." [9]

In 2006, she won four medals at the African Gymnastics Championships, three bronze and one gold. [10]

In 2007, she competed at the World Championships, where she finished in 108th place. [11]

Monteiro again received a tripartite invitation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, [2] and was, again, her country's flagbearer during the Games' opening ceremony. [12] She finished 24th, with an all-around score of 49.050 points. [1]

In 2019, Monteiro represented Cape Verdean athletes during a visit from the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach. [13]

References

  1. 1 2 Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Vânia Monteiro". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 "In first Worlds appearance, Elyane Boal (CPV) presents the new generation of Rhythmic gymnasts from Cape Verde". International Gymnastics Federation . 10 September 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  3. Beech, Hannah (30 August 2004). "Beaten, But Not Defeated". Time. Archived from the original on 8 February 2008. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  4. "Participants List". Longines Timing. 19 October 2001. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  5. "Individual exercises" (PDF). Longines Timing. 25 September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2008.
  6. "African Champs - Senegal 2004". www.gymnastics.co.za. Archived from the original on 16 January 2005. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  7. Alessi, Rebecca (28 May 2021). "Tokyo 2020 – la tripartite card per la Ritmica torna a Capo Verde!" [Tokyo 2020 – the tripartite card for Rhythmic Gymnastics returns to Cape Verde!]. Ginnasticando (in Italian). Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  8. "Flagbearers for 2004 Summer Olympics". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  9. ""I will have other chances"". International Gymnastics Federation . 27 August 2004. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008.
  10. Auzias, Dominique (2007). Cap-Vert: 2007-2008 (in French). Nouv.éd. de l'Université. ISBN   978-2-7469-1620-3.
  11. "28th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships Official Results Book". Longines Timing. 23 September 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  12. "List of flagbearers, Beijing 2008" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
  13. "President of the International Olympic Committee highlights role of Cape Verde". CE Noticias Financieras. 11 November 2019.
Olympic Games
Preceded by Flagbearer for Flag of Cape Verde.svg  Cape Verde
2004 Athens
2008 Beijing
Succeeded by