Marcisnei and Juliana finish seventh at the WG

After an exciting fourth place last year in the World Championships, gymnasts Juliana Antero and Marcisnei Oliveira (pictured) finished in seventh place at the World Games 2009. Winners were French pair Julien Chaninet and Aurelie Joly. In a surpring result, the Romanian pair placed out of the podium. In the Men's Individual competition no Brazilian athlete attempeted qualification. Tomorrow Marcela Lopez will compete in both Women's Individual event and in Trios. Marcela is Brazil's biggest hope for a medal at these games and I am deeply rooting for her.

Brazilian gymnasts fighting for first World Games medal

Not many people know about the World Games. This is a multi-sport competition where athletes around the world take part in events not contested at the Olympics. When it comes to gymnastics, the competition features Individual Rhythmic Gymnastics, Aerobic, Acrobatic, Trampoline and Tumbling. Brazil has never won a medal in any of the disciplines in Gymnastics in past competitions, but we all hope this changes this year since the two-time world champion Marcela Lopez (pictured) is competing this time. Marcela is natural from the city of São Paulo, Brazil's largest city. Besides two individual titles in World Championships (2006 and 2008), she is also a gold, silver and bronze medalist in the Trio competition (medals won in 2004, 2005 and 2006 respectively).

Besides Marcela, gymnasts Juliana Antero (Aerobics), Leonardo Lins (Aerobics), Marina Lopez (Aerobics), Bruno Martini (Trampoline) and Marcisnei Oliveira (Aerobics) are competing. Promising young Rhythmic Gymnast Eliane Sampaio has already competed, placing 19th (Rope), 20th (Hoop), 19th (Ball) and 21st (Ribbon). I wish luck to Sampaio, since she is a talented gymnast and this was her first major international competition.

You can follow the updated results here, through the World Games 2009 official website.