Maria Eduarda Arakaki

Maria Eduarda Arakaki
Arakaki in 2018
Personal information
Full nameMaria Eduarda De Almeida Arakaki
Nickname(s)Duda
Born (2003-08-12) 12 August 2003
Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil[1]
Height173 cm (5 ft 8 in)[2]
Gymnastics career
DisciplineRhythmic gymnastics
Country
represented
 Brazil
(2018-)
ClubColégio Marista de Maceió
Head coach(es)Carla Cabus, Camila Ferezin
Medal record
Rhythmic gymnastics
Representing  Brazil
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
FIG World Cup 1 2 3
FIG World Challenge Cup 3 4 1
Total 4 6 4
Pan American Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Rio de Janeiro Group all-around
Gold medal – first place 2021 Rio de Janeiro 5 balls
Gold medal – first place 2021 Rio de Janeiro 3 hoops + 4 clubs
Gold medal – first place 2022 Rio de Janeiro Group all-around
Gold medal – first place 2022 Rio de Janeiro 5 hoops
Gold medal – first place 2023 Guadalajara Group all-around
Gold medal – first place 2023 Guadalajara 5 hoops
Gold medal – first place 2023 Guadalajara 3 ribbons + 2 balls
Gold medal – first place 2024 Guatemala City 5 hoops
Silver medal – second place 2022 Rio de Janeiro 3 ribbons + 2 balls
Silver medal – second place 2024 Guatemala City Group all-around
Silver medal – second place 2024 Guatemala City 3 ribbons + 2 balls
South American Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Paipa All-around team
Gold medal – first place 2022 Paipa Group all-around
Gold medal – first place 2022 Paipa 5 hoops
Gold medal – first place 2022 Paipa 3 ribbons + 2 balls

Maria Eduarda De Almeida "Duda" Arakaki (born 12 August 2003)[3] is a Brazilian rhythmic gymnast. She represented Brazil at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in the individual all-around, and at the 2020 Summer Olympics and 2024 Summer Olympics in the group all-around.[1]

Career

Arakaki began rhythmic gymnastics when she was six years old.[2]

Junior

She competed at the 2018 Junior Pan American Championships and won the bronze medal in the team event and finished sixth in the individual all-around.[4] She won the gold medal in the all-around at the 2018 South American Youth Championships.[2] She competed at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. In the individual all-around, she finished thirty-fourth in the qualification round. Additionally, in the mixed multi-discipline team event, her team finished seventh.[1] In 2019, she had surgery on her knee and did not compete that year.[2]

Senior

2020-2021

Arakaki began training with Brazil's senior group in 2020.[2] Her first major competition with the group was the 2021 Pan American Championships in Rio de Janeiro. The group won the gold medal in the group all-around and secured the continental quota place for the 2020 Olympic Games. The group additionally won the gold medals in both the 5 balls and the 3 hoops + 4 clubs event finals.[5]

Arakaki was selected to compete for Brazil at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the group all-around alongside Beatriz Linhares, Déborah Medrado, Nicole Pírcio, and Geovanna Santos.[6] They finished twelfth in the qualification round for the group all-around.[7]

2022

She continued being part of a national team after the Olympics. At the 2022 World Cup Pesaro her group won bronze medal in 3 Ribbons + 2 Balls final, which was her first World Cup medal. She then competed with Nicole Pircio, Déborah Medrado, Gabrielle da Silva, Giovanna Oliveira, and Bárbara Galvão at the 2022 Pan American Championships and successfully defended their group all-around title. They also won gold in the 5 hoops event finals, and they won the silver behind Mexico in the 3 ribbons + 2 balls final.[8] The same group then competed at the 2022 World Championships in Sofia where they finished fifth in the group all-around.[9] They also qualified for the 5 hoops final where they finished fourth.[10]

2023

In 2023, they won more medals - two bronze medals in Group All-around at World Cups in Athens and Cluj Napoca. At the Portimão World Challenge Cup, she was part of the group that won a historic gold medal in the 5 hoops final.[11] Later that year, she represented Brazil at the 2023 World Championships in Valencia, Spain, where she and her teammates finished on 6th place in Group All-around and secured a quota place for the 2024 Olympic Games.[12]

2024

At the Pan American Championships in Guatemala City, the Brazilian group won the gold medal in 5 hoops but won the silver in the all-around and 3 ribbons and 2 balls behind Mexico.[13] In August 2024, Medrado competed represented Brazil at the 2024 Summer Olympics alongside Victória Borges, Déborah Medrado, Sofia Pereira, and Nicole Pircio. During the qualification round for the group all-around, the Brazilian group stood in fourth place after their first routine, 5 hoops. In the end they finished in ninth place, just outside of reaching the finals, due to group member Victória Borges injuring herself minutes before their second qualifications routine (3 ribbons and 2 balls).[14]

2025

Maria and Nicole Pircio were the only ones left from the Olympic team and continued training in 2025. Together with Maria Paula Caminha, Mariana Gonçalves, Ana Luiza Franceschi and Bárbara Urquiza they presented new routines at Portimão World Challenge Cup and won gold medals in group all-around, 5 ribbons and 3 balls + 2 hoops.[15][16] On July 18-20, the group won gold medal in all-around at Milan World Cup.[17] They also won gold medal in 5 Ribbons final and bronze in 3 Balls and 2 Hoops.[18]

Personal life

She studies Physical Education at Estácio de Sá University in Rio de Janeiro.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Duda Arakaki". Olympedia. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Maria Eduarda de Almeida Arakaki". Olympiada Todo Dia (in Portuguese). Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Arakaki Maria Eduarda". Tokyo 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Campeonato Panamericano Gimnasia Ritmica Juvenil" (PDF). USA Gymnastics (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Brazil and Castillo Galindo claim Olympic tickets in Rio". International Gymnastics Federation. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  6. ^ "CBG divulga convocação das ginastas do conjunto" [CBG announces the rhythmic gymnastics group]. Confederação Brasileira de Ginástica (in Portuguese). 8 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Rhythmic Gymnastics — Group All-Around — Qualification — Results" (PDF). 2020 Summer Olympics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  8. ^ "U.S. rhythmic gymnasts add eight medals as Pan American Championships continue". USA Gymnastics. 9 July 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  9. ^ "39th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships Sofia (BUL), 14-18 September 2022 Group All-Around Final" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. International Gymnastics Federation. 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  10. ^ "39th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships Sofia (BUL), 14-18 September 2022 Group 5 Hoops Final" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. International Gymnastics Federation. 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Brazilian history: Rhythmic Group gold in Portimao!". International Gymnastics Federation. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  12. ^ Marcel Nagime (25 August 2023). "Ginástica Rítmica nos Jogos Olímpicos de Paris 2024" (in Portuguese).
  13. ^ "Gimnasia rítmica conquista Guatemala" [Rhythmic gymnastics conquers Guatemala]. Redacción 24 Horas (in Spanish). 10 June 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  14. ^ Longo, Gustavo (28 November 2024). "Símbolo da evolução da ginástica rítmica do Brasil, Déborah Medrado se aposenta aos 22 anos" [A symbol of the evolution of rhythmic gymnastics in Brazil, Déborah Medrado retires at 22]. Olympics.com (in Portuguese).
  15. ^ "Brasil dá show e 'varre' medalhas de ouro no conjunto na Challenge Cup deGinástica Rítmica Portimão 2025" [Brazil puts on a show and sweeps gold medals in the group at the Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge Cup Portimão 2025]. www.olympics.com (in Portuguese). 2025-05-11. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  16. ^ "World Challenge Cup Cluj-Napoca Results book (Media)". International Gymnastics Federation. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  17. ^ "BRASILEIRAS CONQUISTAM OURO INÉDITO NO CONJUNTO GERAL DA COPA DO MUNDO". cbginastica.com (in Portuguese). 19 July 2025. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  18. ^ "Um dia após ouro geral, conjunto de rítmica do Brasil leva bronze com "Evidências" na Copa do Mundo em Milão". olympics.com (in Portuguese). 20 July 2025. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  19. ^ "ARAKAKI Maria Eduarda". olympics.com. Retrieved 31 July 2024.