Poliana Okimoto

{{Infobox swimmer|

| name= Poliana Okimoto

| image = Poliana Okimoto Rio 2016.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Okimoto at the 2016 Olympics

| fullname =

| nationality = {{BRA}}

| strokes = Freestyle

| club = Unisanta

|coach=Ricardo Cintra

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1983|3|8}}

| birth_place = São Paulo, Brazil

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = 1.65 m[https://www.cob.org.br/pt/atletas/poliana-okimoto-cintra Poliana Okimoto]. cob.org.br

| weight = 52 kg

| medaltemplates=

{{MedalCountry|{{BRA}}}}

}}

Poliana Okimoto (born March 8, 1983) is a Brazilian long-distance swimmer.{{cite web|title = Poliana Okimoto|work=Sports Reference|year = 2013|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ok/poliana-okimoto-cintra-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170117095521/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ok/poliana-okimoto-cintra-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = January 17, 2017|access-date =April 18, 2013}}{{cite web|title = World Champion Poliana Okimoto reveals phobia: 'I was scared to death of the sea'|work=SPORTV|date = January 24, 2012|url = http://sportv.globo.com/site/programas/sportv-reporter/noticia/2012/01/campea-mundial-poliana-okimoto-revela-fobia-morria-de-medo-do-mar.html|access-date =April 18, 2013|language=pt}}

Career

She was at the 2002 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in Moscow, where she finished 18th in the 800-metre freestyle.{{cite web | title = Results of the 800-metre freestyle at 2002 Moscow | work = OmegaTiming | date = April 4, 2002 | url = http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001020C0025000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01|access-date =April 18, 2013}}

She won the Travessia dos Fortes in 2005.

Okimoto competed in the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, in the first appearance of the marathon swimming, where she received the silver medal in the Women's 10K, the first Brazilian medal at this edition.{{cite web | title = Poliana Okimoto wins silver | work = Globoesporte | date = July 14, 2007 | url = http://globoesporte.globo.com/PAN/Noticias/0,,MUL69721-3853,00-POLIANA+OKIMOTO+CONQUISTA+A+PRATA.html| access-date =April 18, 2013|language=pt}}

Okimoto finished 7th in the inaugural aquatic marathon (10 km race) at the 2008 Olympics.

She also swam at the 2008 Open Water World Championships in Seville, Spain.{{Cite web|url=https://openwaterswimming.com/2017/10/poliana-okimoto-honored-by-hall-of-fame/|title=Poliana Okimoto Honored By The Hall Of Fame - WOWSA|website=Open Water Swimming - World Open Water Swimming Association|date=October 11, 2017 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130000345/https://openwaterswimming.com/2017/10/poliana-okimoto-honored-by-hall-of-fame/|archive-date=2020-01-30|access-date=2020-01-29}}

In 2009, Okimoto won the marathon swimming World Cup, winning 9 of 11 stages held, becoming the first Brazilian champion of the sport.

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome, obtained the bronze medal. With that, she broke a 15 years-fast for Brazil in the World Championships, and became the first Brazilian woman to win a medal in the competition's history.{{cite web | title = Okimoto takes bronze and breaks fasting for 15 years for Brazil in World Championships | work = Globoesporte | date = July 21, 2009 | url = http://globoesporte.globo.com/Esportes/Noticias/Esportes_Aquaticos/0,,MUL1236900-16315,00-POLIANA+OKIMOTO+LEVA+BRONZE+E+QUEBRA+JEJUM+DE+ANOS+PARA+O+BRASIL+NO+MUNDIAL.html|access-date =April 18, 2013|language=pt}} She was considered by Época magazine one of the 100 most influential Brazilians in 2009.{{cite web|title=Season – NEWS – the 100 most influential Brazilians in 2009 |work=ÉPOCA |date=December 20, 2009 |url=http://revistaepoca.globo.com/Revista/Epoca/1,,EMI108920-17445,00.html |access-date=April 18, 2013 |language=pt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514090608/http://revistaepoca.globo.com/Revista/Epoca/1%2C%2CEMI108920-17445%2C00.html |archive-date=May 14, 2013 }}

She was at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, where she finished 20th in the 400-metre freestyle.{{cite web | title = Results of the 400-metre freestyle at 2010 Pan Pac in Irvine | work = OmegaTiming | date = August 20, 2010 | url = http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A0B0028000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 | access-date = April 28, 2013}}

In 2010, she broke the short-course Brazilian records of the 800-metre freestyle (8:27.77) {{cite news|title=Records' rain opens the Brazilian Swimming Short Course Championships|url=http://www.cbda.org.br/noticias/chuva-de-recordes-abre-o-brasileiro-em-piscina-curta|publisher=CBDA|date=September 20, 2010|access-date=August 8, 2013|archive-date=December 26, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226172224/http://www.cbda.org.br/noticias/chuva-de-recordes-abre-o-brasileiro-em-piscina-curta|url-status=dead}} and 1500-metre freestyle (16:09.04).{{cite news|title=Jose Finkel Trophy Meet: Kristel Kobrich Sets South American Record|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/25100.asp?q=Jose-Finkel-Trophy-Meet:-Kristel-Kobrich-Sets-South-American-Record|publisher=Swimming World Magazine|date=September 26, 2010|access-date=October 5, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825215249/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/25100.asp?q=Jose-Finkel-Trophy-Meet%3A-Kristel-Kobrich-Sets-South-American-Record|archive-date=August 25, 2012|df=mdy-all}}

At the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Okimoto repeated the 2007 result, and again won the silver.{{cite web | title = Brazilian Poliana Okimoto bill silver in the marathon swimming | work = R7 | date = October 22, 2011 | url = http://rederecord.r7.com/pan-guadalajara-2011/noticias/brasileira-poliana-okimoto-fatura-a-prata-na-maratona-aquatica.html |access-date =April 18, 2013|language=pt}}

In the 2012 Olympics in London Okimoto was unable to complete the race due to the water temperature, being disqualified. The frustration that followed led Okimoto to clinical depression and thoughts of abandoning the sport, before being convinced otherwise by among others her husband-coach Ricardo Cintra.[http://espn.uol.com.br/noticia/345452_poliana-okimoto-supera-depressao-apos-olimpiadas-pensei-em-parar Poliana Okimoto supera depressão após Olimpíadas: 'Pensei em parar']

At the 2013 World Aquatics Championships, in Barcelona, Poliana had a historical participation. She won the silver medal in the Women's 5K race,{{cite web | title = Poliana and Ana Marcela lead Brazil to the podium with silver and bronze in the 5km | work = SPORTV | date = July 20, 2013 | url = http://sportv.globo.com/site/eventos/mundial-de-esportes-aquaticos/noticia/2013/07/poliana-e-ana-marcela-levam-brasil-ao-podio-com-prata-e-bronze-nos-5km.html |access-date =July 20, 2013|language=pt}} and, some days later, became the World Champion in the 10K race.{{cite web | title = Poliana and Ana Marcela make history and won the gold and silver medals in the 10km | work = SPORTV | date = July 23, 2013 | url = http://sportv.globo.com/site/eventos/mundial-de-esportes-aquaticos/noticia/2013/07/poliana-e-ana-marcela-conquistam-ouro-e-prata-nos-10km-do-mundial.html |access-date =July 23, 2013|language=pt}} Finishing, in the team event, she won the bronze medal with the Brazilian team, along with Samuel de Bona and Allan do Carmo.{{cite web | title = Tireless, Poliana help male duo and invoice bronze by teams | work = SPORTV | date = July 25, 2013 | url = http://sportv.globo.com/site/eventos/mundial-de-esportes-aquaticos/noticia/2013/07/incansavel-poliana-ajuda-dupla-masculina-e-fatura-bronze-por-equipes.html |access-date =July 25, 2013|language=pt}}{{cite web | title = Results of the Marathon Swimming Teams at 2013 Barcelona | work = OmegaTiming | date = July 25, 2013 | url = http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010D04000400FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF02 |access-date =July 25, 2013}}

On August 12, 2013, Okimoto broke the Brazilian record in the 1500-metre freestyle, with a time of 16:26.90.{{cite web | title = Poliana breaks a 12-year brazilian record | work = CBDA | date = August 12, 2013 | url = http://www.cbda.org.br/noticias/poliana-bate-recorde-brasileiro-de-12-anos | access-date = September 21, 2014 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131109071228/http://www.cbda.org.br/noticias/poliana-bate-recorde-brasileiro-de-12-anos | archive-date = November 9, 2013 | df = mdy-all }}

At the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, Okimoto finished 6th in the 10 km marathon.{{cite web | title = Ana Marcela Cunha wins bronze in the 10 km marathon and guarantees the Olympic vacancy | work = R7 | date = July 28, 2015 | url = http://rederecord.r7.com/pan-toronto-2015/ana-marcela-cunha-e-bronze-nos-10-quilometros-da-maratona-aquatica-e-garante-vaga-na-olimpiada-28072015 | access-date = July 30, 2015 | language = pt | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150730041054/http://rederecord.r7.com/pan-toronto-2015/ana-marcela-cunha-e-bronze-nos-10-quilometros-da-maratona-aquatica-e-garante-vaga-na-olimpiada-28072015 | archive-date = July 30, 2015 | df = mdy-all }}{{cite web | title = Results of the 10 km marathon at 2015 Kazan | work = OmegaTiming | date = July 28, 2015 | url = http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010F04000202FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF02 | access-date = July 30, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190213085954/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010F04000202FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF02 | archive-date = February 13, 2019 | url-status = dead }}

Okimoto initially finished fourth at the 10 km race at the 2016 Olympics hosted by Brazil. A disqualification of second placed Aurélie Muller upgraded her to the bronze, making Okimoto the first Brazilian woman to win a swimming Olympic medal.[https://sports.yahoo.com/news/dutch-swimmer-van-rouwendaal-wins-womens-10km-open-142332096--oly.html Dutch swimmer Van Rouwendaal wins women's 10km open water gold] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207114454/https://sports.yahoo.com/news/dutch-swimmer-van-rouwendaal-wins-womens-10km-open-142332096--oly.html |date=February 7, 2017 }}. Sports.yahoo.com (June 29, 2016). Retrieved on 2016-08-17.[http://oglobo.globo.com/esportes/poliana-okimoto-conquista-bronze-na-maratona-aquatica-19924290 Poliana Okimoto conquista o bronze na maratona aquática]. Oglobo.globo.com. Retrieved on August 17, 2016.

The following year, Okimoto wound up absent of the 2017 World Championships, finishing third in the national 10 km qualifiers and skipping the 5 km ones.[http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/esporte/2017/05/1883123-medalhista-olimpica-poliana-okimoto-e-superada-e-fica-fora-de-mundial.shtml Medalhista olímpica, Poliana Okimoto é superada e fica fora de Mundial][http://sportv.globo.com/videos/esportes-aquaticos/t/natacao/v/poliana-okimoto-nao-comparece-a-prova-dos-5km-e-esta-fora-do-mundial-de-esportes-aquaticos/5868359/ Poliana Okimoto não comparece à prova dos 5km e está fora do Mundial de Esportes Aquáticos]