Brazil has a number of incredible athletes, many of them excelling at the Olympics. These athletes venture into sports such as swimming, athletics, artistic gymnastics, equestrianism and many others.
With another edition of the Olympic Games coming up, this time in Paris, France, it’s time to meet some of Brazil’s athletes. From those who have retired to those who are still active, here’s a look at the greatest Brazilian Olympians in history.
Of course, it’s difficult to choose the best, but we’ve made a selection of extremely talented athletes that you need to get to know better. Curious? Then check out who made the list of the greatest Brazilians at the Olympics!
The greatest Brazilians at the Olympics: complete list
- Robert Scheidt
- Torben Grael
- Gustavo Borges
- Isaquias Queiroz
- Escadinha
- César Cielo
- Thiago Braz
- Adhemar Ferreira da Silva
- Rodrigo Pessoa
- Fernando Scherer
- Arthur Zanetti
- Bruno Fratus
- Rafaela Silva
- Rebeca Andrade
- Rayssa Leal
- Adriana dos Santos Araújo
- Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima
- Maurren Maggi
- Sarah Menezes
- Diego Hypólito
The greatest Brazilians at the Olympics: meet them!
20. Diego Hypólito
- Sport: artistic gymnastics
- Medals: 1
As well as being one of the best gymnasts in the world, Diego Hypólito is also one of Brazil’s greatest Olympians. Even though he has only won one silver medal at the Olympic Games, he has always excelled in the sport.
Diego Hypólito’s medal came in 2016, at the Rio de Janeiro edition of the Olympics. In other competitions, the gymnast has also won several medals.
19. Sarah Menezes
- Sport: Judo
- Medals: 1
Judoka Sarah Menezes became the first Brazilian woman to win a gold medal in judo at the Olympics. The achievement came at the London Olympics in 2012.
In addition to the Olympic Games, Sarah has won competitions such as the World Judo Championships and the Pan American Games.
18. Maurren Maggi
- Sport: athletics (long jump)
- Medals: 1
Maurren Maggi is known as the biggest name in Brazilian athletics. In 2008, at the Beijing Olympics, she won the gold medal.
Among the many accolades she has won throughout her career, she has won several other medals at championships such as the Pan American Games.
17. Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima
- Sport: athletics (marathon)
- Medal: 1
Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima, a former Brazilian marathon runner, is best known for winning a bronze medal at the Olympics. He won it at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.
The athlete began his career as a cross-country skier, but at the age of 14 he was encouraged to run marathons, which worked out very well.
16. Adriana dos Santos Araújo
- Sport: boxing
- Medals: 1
Adriana dos Santos Araújo, a boxer, started boxing at the age of 18 and quickly began to make a name for herself in the sport. At the London Olympics in 2012, she won a bronze medal.
She held the record for being the first Brazilian to win a women’s boxing match at the Olympic Games.
15. Rayssa Leal
- Sport: skateboarding
- Medals: 1
One of the most recent highlights of the Olympics is skateboarder Rayssa Leal. Skateboarding entered the Olympic Games in Tokyo, and the athlete soon won a silver medal in the competition.
This year, Rayssa Leal is expected to compete again and bring more medals to Brazil along with other athletes.
14. Rebeca Andrade
- Sport: artistic gymnastics
- Medals: 1
Rebeca Andrade, a gymnast who represents Brazil at the Olympics, has become a major highlight in recent years. The athlete won a gold and a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Andrade won gold in the vault and silver in the individual all-around. As well as the Olympics, she has several other medals from world championships.
13. Rafaela Silva
- Sport: Judo
- Medals: 1
Rafaela Silva, a Brazilian judoka, stood out at the 2016 Olympics by winning in the up to 56-kilogram category. The athlete won the gold medal after fighting Dorjsürengiin Sumiyaa, from Mongolia.
The athlete was born in Cidade de Deus and started out in sport playing soccer. However, at the age of seven she signed up for judo classes and never stopped.
12. Bruno Fratus
- Sport: swimming
- Medals: 1
Bruno Fratus is a Brazilian swimmer who stood out at the Tokyo Olympics. The athlete won third place in the 50-meter freestyle and took home a bronze medal.
He has also won several medals at international championships, such as the Pan American Games and the Pan Pacific Games.
11. Arthur Zanetti
- Sport: gymnastics (rings)
- Medals: 2
Arthur Zanetti, a gymnast in the rings discipline, has won two medals at the Olympic Games. The first he won in London in 2012, gold, and the second in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, silver.
The athlete started practicing gymnastics at the age of seven and has since won several medals at different championships.
10. Fernando Scherer
- Sport: swimming
- Medals: 2
One of the greatest Brazilian Olympians of all time is Fernando Scherer, also known as Xuxa. The athlete won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 and one in Sydney in 2000.
Scherer started competing at the age of 14 and quickly began to make a name for himself in the sport. The swimmer has also won other world championships and the Pan American Games.
9. Rodrigo Pessoa
- Sport: equestrianism
- Medals: 3
One of Brazil’s greatest equestrian representatives is Rodrigo Pessoa, who has won three medals at the Olympics. The athlete was the youngest rider to compete at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
But it was at the Games in Athens, Atlanta and Sydney that Rodrigo Pessoa won his gold and bronze medals respectively.
8. Adhemar Ferreira da Silva
- Sport: athletics
- Medals: 2
Brazilian athlete Adhemar Ferreira da Silva won his two gold medals at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki and the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne.
The athlete is the only one from Brazil to be immortalized in the Athletics Hall of Fame, being one of the greatest Brazilians at the Olympics and also in the world of sport.
7. Thiago Braz
- Sport: pole vaulting
- Medals: 2
Thiago Braz, who started athletics at just 14 years old, has won two Olympic medals during his career.
Thiago won the gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 and the bronze medal in Tokyo in 2021.
6. César Cielo
- Sport: swimming
- Medals: 3
With three medals won at the Olympics (one gold and two bronze), César Cielo is one of Brazil’s greatest swimmers. The athlete has only taken part in two Olympics: Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
The swimmer has already been considered one of the most influential Brazilians of the year, as well as the best athlete of the decade. Outside of the Olympics, he has collected a large number of medals and achievements.
5. Escadinha
- Sport: volleyball
- Medals: 4
Escadinha, also known as Serginho or Sérgio Dutra Santos, is one of Brazil’s greatest volleyball players. He became known as the only athlete in history to play in four consecutive Olympic finals.
With the Brazilian team, Escadinha won four medals, two gold and two silver. The Olympic Games he played in were Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
4. Isaquias Queiroz
- Sport: canoeing
- Medals: 4
One of the greatest Brazilians at the Olympics is Isaquias Queiroz, a canoeist who has won four medals. At the Olympic Games, the athlete won one gold, two silver and one bronze medal.
The Brazilian canoeist took part in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020. The athlete also broke a record, being the first athlete from Brazil to win three medals in a single edition of the Olympic Games.
3. Gustavo Borges
- Sport: swimming
- Medals: 4
Gustavo Borges, one of the greatest Brazilians at the Olympics, also stood out at the Olympics. The athlete has four medals, two silver and two bronze.
His medals were won at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000. The Brazilian has also won several other medals at different world championships.
2. Torben Grael
- Sport: yachting
- Medals: 5
Torben Grael, one of the best Brazilian yachtsmen, is also one of the greatest Brazilians at the Olympics. The athlete has won five medals at the Olympic Games, two gold, one silver and two bronze.
The yachtsman took part in the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984, Seoul in 1988, Atlanta in 1996, Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004. Grael started sailing when he was just five years old, without imagining that he would become a great champion in the sport.
1. Robert Scheidt
- Sport: yachting
- Medals: 5
Yachtsman Robert Scheidt is also one of the greatest Brazilians at the Olympics, having won five Olympic medals during his career. The athlete took part in the events in Atlanta in 1996, Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
Among his five medals, he has two gold, two silver and one bronze. The Brazilian also has several victories in other championships.
What did you think of meeting the greatest Brazilians at the Olympics? Don’t forget to visit our website and check out our articles with everything you need to know about the Olympic Games. And don’t forget to leave a comment!
- Greatest Brazilians at the Paralympics: meet the top 20 athletes
- All the Olympic sports: see full list and description
- All the Paralympic sports: see list and description
- Bodybuilding championships: discover the main events
- How bodybuilding is practiced: routine, diet and more
