Eyeing the top: Ruan Vasconcelos represents Flamengo at the U-18 Judo World Championship

A Flamengo youth product, 17-year-old Ruan De Lana Vasconcelos will represent Brazil at the U18 Judo World Championships, taking place this week. Boasting an impressive resume, including national and international titles, the young Flamengo player faces the most important challenge of his career with the same discipline he's had since childhood. The preliminaries are scheduled for 3:30 a.m. and the finals for 10:30 a.m. (Brasília time), and Ruan arrives fueled by intense preparation, determined to turn every drop of sweat into a medal on the mat.

Preparation for the World Cup
Preparation for this year's World Cup has been extremely intense. We're pushing our bodies and minds to the limit, training practically all day long. I'm giving my best every day because I know I have only one goal. — enI'm not going to play around. I'm going to be a world champion, and I'll only leave with a medal. It's not enough to say I want to be a champion: I have to work hard, achieve first in training, and then reap on the mat what I've already built with effort. I believe that every drop of sweat is a seed planted now, and on competition day, it will be time to reap the rewards.

Beginning in judo
My parents put me in sports more to burn off energy when I was 3 years old,I was a very restless boy and always got into trouble at home. At the time, they had no idea that judo would become a fundamental part of my life. Over time, I grew up and dedicated myself more and more.

Arrival at Flamengo
At the age of 10, in 2017, I arrived at Flamengo. At the time, the club didn't have a structured youth team for younger athletes. I joined the under-13 team at a very young age and began training with older, heavier, and more experienced athletes. This interaction helped me evolve quickly, learn on the job, and adapt to challenges early on.

Day to day at Flamengo
These days, my routine at Flamengo is intense and requires a lot of focus. I leave school, quickly stop home for lunch, and head to the club, arriving around 14 p.m. The first training session is from 15 p.m. to 15 p.m., focusing on physical training on the mat. Then, from 16 p.m. to 16 p.m., we have technical training. Then, there's a break from 17 p.m. to 17 p.m. for rest, before starting the hardest training of the day, from 19 p.m. to 19 p.m., at maximum intensity. Finally, from 20 p.m. to XNUMX p.m., I do physical preparation at the gym.

Career difficulties
Throughout my career, I have faced several injuries — some of them have really messed me up in the past and, atEven today, they still bring pain. I also deal with the difficulty of living far away: I spend hours commuting to and from the club, which reduces my rest time and increases fatigue. Even so, I keep going. I believe these obstacles are part of an athlete's life and shape not only the body but also the mind.

Idols
My biggest idols are my parents. They inspire me every day. They're hard-working, honest people who've always believed in me. Everything I do is for them, for all the support they've given me and continue to give. They do everything they can to help me, and my greatest desire is to give back by making them proud. More than role models as athletes, my parents are role models as human beings. - and that is what motivates me the most.

Main Dishes achievements
Champion of the 2024 National Selection
3rd place Coimbra Cadet European Cup 2024
Brazilian team champion 2024
2025 National Meeting Champion
International Masters Champion Bremen (European Circuit) 2025
Brazilian individual and team champion 2025

Technical sheet
Name: Ruan De Lana Vasconcelos
Date of birth: 13/01/2008
Age: 17 years
Height: 1,80 m
Place of Birth: Rio de Janeiro (RJ)