 By Caroline and Meredith. |
By Caroline and Meredith. |
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Caroline who is a free-lance writer for the French Gymnastics Federation magazine attended the 2001 Massilia Cup. She was amazed by the star of Brazil: Daniele Hypolito. Here is her profile. (Special thanks to Melanie Green (U.k.) who did the translation).  Daniele Hypolito, the tiny Brazilian bombshell.. In 1997 the Marseille public discovered a tiny 13 year old gymnast called Daniele at the Massilia Trophy event. In the all-around competition she finished in eighth position, having failed to master a programme that was too ambitious for her. Four years later, and only a few centimetres taller, she has come back to Marseille. This time there were no more falls, the content of her exercises is still just as complex but she has added the magic ingredient - consistency of performance. She finished second behind Andreea Raducan, and it is at the time of the weekend that we meet her here. Daniele answered our questions whilst warming up, and her trainer Georgette Vidor, the long-time coach of the Brazilian national team, acted as her interpreter since she speaks perfect French. Georgette and Daniele belong together, with a relationship that is unique to them. At four years old Daniele discovered gymnastics via television. "There were frequent repeat broadcasts of Nadia Comaneci, these were a source of inspiration for me. Otherwise I had no particular idols when I began, except maybe Luisa Parente" (the best Brazilian gymnast towards the end of the eighties). The little girl from Sao Paulo first tried her hand at gymnastics in a tiny club with dilapidated apparatus. She had an undeniable aptitude for the sport, as five years later she was spotted by Ricardo Pereira, Georgette Vidor's assistant, who suggested she come to train at the famous Flamengo club at Rio de Janeiro. Then a kid of nine years old, measuring 1m 20, she set off for Rio. From that moment on the child began a new chapter with a new type of gymnastics under the stewardship of Georgette, re-learning everything virtually from scratch.  Due to her incredible talent, success was not long in arriving. In 1996 at barely twelve years of age, she became the new Brazilian champion. These good results turned Daniele almost into a professional athlete, with the club paying money and helping her family, people from a modest background, to move with their daughter to Rio. The gym has since become everyone's business; the father drives the gymnasts' bus, the eldest brother is a trainer at the club whilst the youngest, Diego, is in the process of becoming a very good gymnast at national level. Daniele owes much to Georgette and her training - her medals, the recognition, the better life she and her family have, but more so, almost life itself. For in fact fate dealt a cruel blow in 1997. While travelling by coach to a competition, they became victims of a very serious accident that cost the lives of seven people. A short while before it happened, Daniele had swapped seats with her trainer and this gesture may have saved her life. The gymnast was only injured superficially, while Georgette became paraplegic. Ursula Flores, herself a promising gymnast and best friend of Daniele, remained in a coma for several days. The episode affected Daniele profoundly. |
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Page (c) Caroline and Meredith for Kostiskal Docs only can be reproduced for the private use of gym fans. |