Laís Souza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Laís Souza |
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Souza in 2016
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Lais da Silva Souza | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country represented |  Brazil |
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| Born | December 13, 1988 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil |
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| Height | 156 cm (5 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 47 kg (104 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Women's artistic gymnastics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Level | Senior international | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Esporte Clube Pinheiros | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach(es) | Oleg Ostapenko | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Choreographer | Nadejda Ostapenko | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Laís da Silva Souza (born December 13, 1988) is a Brazilian former artistic gymnast and aerial skier. She was a talented athlete who competed for Brazil. Laís represented her country in gymnastics from 2003 to 2008. She helped the Brazilian team reach two Summer Olympic Games. Later, in 2013, she started a new sport: freestyle skiing. She even qualified for the 2014 Winter Olympics in the aerials event. Sadly, she had a serious accident during training just weeks before the Olympics. This accident caused her to become paralyzed.
Contents
Gymnastics Career Highlights
Early Competitions: 2003–2004
Laís da Silva Souza began her international career in 2003. Her first big event was the 2003 Pan American Games. There, the Brazilian team won a bronze medal. They finished behind the USA and Canada.
In the same year, she competed in the 2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Her team placed eighth overall. This strong performance helped Brazil qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics. At her first Olympics, the Brazilian team finished ninth. Laís performed well on vault, bars, beam, and floor.
Success and Olympic Dreams: 2005–2008
In 2005, Laís competed in the São Paulo World Cup. She earned a silver medal on vault. She scored 15.112 points in this event.
In 2006, she took part in the 2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Laís finished fourth on vault. She also placed eighth on floor exercise. That year, she was named the Brazilian Sportswoman of the Year.
Laís won three medals at the 2007 Pan American Games. Brazil's team earned a silver medal. They finished second to the USA. Laís also won bronze medals on vault and uneven bars. Her efforts helped the Brazilian team qualify for the Summer Olympics again. This was for the second time in a row.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Brazil achieved its best team result ever. They finished eighth in the team final. Laís's best individual result was 26th on uneven bars.
Return and Setback: 2011–2012
After a three-year break, Laís returned to gymnastics in 2011. She had been recovering from several injuries. She even had multiple knee surgeries.
In June 2012, she was named to her third Olympic team. However, just weeks before the Games, she got hurt. She injured her hand during a training session on the bars. This injury forced her to withdraw from the competition. Ethiene Franco replaced her on the team.
Skiing Career and Life-Changing Accident
A New Sport: 2014
In 2014, Laís decided to try a new sport. She began training as an aerial skier. She was set to represent Brazil at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
While training in Park City, Utah, she had a serious accident. On January 28, 2014, she hit a tree. The Brazilian Olympic Committee announced her injury. She was unable to move her arms or legs after the accident. Doctors said she had a "severe trauma."
Laís was first treated at the University of Utah Medical Center. Because of her injury, she could not compete in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. She had only been skiing for six months. However, her lack of experience did not cause the accident.
After the accident, Laís needed help breathing. She was later moved to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. There, she no longer needed a breathing machine. However, she was still unable to move her limbs. Laís is paralyzed from the neck down. She is learning to use an electric wheelchair. The Brazilian Olympic Committee helped her learn English. This allowed her to talk with her doctors. She also received stem cell treatment. This helped her regain some feeling in her feet and legs.
Results
2003
- Bronze Medal, team, 2003 Pan American Games. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
- 4th, vault, 2003 Pan American Games. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
- 8th, team, 2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Anaheim, California.
2004
- 9th, team, 2004 Olympic Games. Athens, Greece.
2005
2006
- 7th, team, 2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Aarhus, Denmark.
- 4th, vault, 2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Aarhus, Denmark.
- 8th, floor, 2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Aarhus, Denmark.
2007
- Silver Medal, team, 2007 Panamerican Games. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Bronze Medal, vault, 2007 Panamerican Games. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Bronze Medal, uneven bars, 2007 Panamerican Games. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- 5th, team, 2007 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Stuttgart, Germany.
2008
- 8th, team, 2008 Olympic Games. Beijing, China.
