Out Paralympic gold medalist Alana Maldonado wants to add to her collection in Paris

Name: Alana Maldonado
Country: Brazil
Sport: Para Judo
Previous Paralympic experience: Rio 2016, Tokyo 2021
Social Media: Instagram

Who is Alana Maldonado

Maldonado is the most dominant judoka of the past decade in her weight class.

The two-time Paralympic medalist holds multiple ISBA World championships, World Cup tournament wins and the 2023 ISBA Pan Am championship in the Women’s 70kg category. She made history in 2021, becoming the first female Brazilian judoka to win Paralympic gold in judo in Tokyo. 

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Her Paralympic debut in Rio nearly delivered that achievement on home soil, but she ultimately fell in the finals, settling for silver.

Maldonado’s skill on the tatami is easy to see, whether looking at her trophy case or watching her in action, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been bumps in the road. For Maldonado, those came in the form of a meniscus injury following her victory in Tokyo and an extended mental health break from competition in 2022.

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A post shared by Olimpíada Todo Dia (@otd_oficial)

The out judoka resumed her championship tear after listening to her body and now has a new mission ahead of her third Paralympics: increasing equity and inclusion for female athletes, especially Paralympic athletes.

“Yes, there is a lot of prejudice against women in sports in general, especially in Paralympic sports. I think this inequality of recognition persists, and my Paralympic medal would not carry the same weight as a traditional Olympic medal,” Maldonado told Historica earlier this year. “I still feel this difference, unfortunately.

“Today, the female Paralympic athlete increasingly shows strength and ability to achieve her dreams, objectives and significant results … we are increasingly fighting for this space and recognition, and we have been succeeding.”

Maldonado’s girlfriend and fiance is Wedja Santos, who is also a judoka. In a pinned post on Instagram, Maldanado wrote: “I can’t get tired of saying how great it is to have you in my days. My friend, girlfriend, fiancée, all time partner and soon to be my wife.”

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A post shared by Alana Maldonado (@alanamaldonadooficial)

Alana Maldonado at the Paris Summer Paralympics

Entering the Paralympics as a defending gold medalist inevitably means the field’s attention is squarely placed on knocking said athlete from their place. Maldonado finds herself in that position in Paris, but she is built for the pressure.

Maldonado enters the Paris Games as a medal favorite, but her quest for a second Paralympic gold also comes with questions about health.

The black belt missed most of 2023 after an ACL injury put her on the shelf for seven months. She showed a quick return to form during competition in 2024, winning silver at the ISBA Grand Prix of Tbilisi in May, so hopefully the lingering effects of the injury won’t come into play.

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