Anderson confirms participation in Olympic trials: 'I'm not worried about being embarrassed'

A. Silva (photo) participated in tryouts for the 2016 Games. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

Anderson Silva entered into an agreement with the Brazilian Taekwondo Confederation (CBTKD) and confirmed that it will participate in the Olympic trials with the aim of guaranteeing a place in the 2016 Games, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro (RJ). The former UFC champion stated, in a press conference this Wednesday (22), that he is already training hard for the competition.

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However, “Spider” recognized the difficulties he will face, as, having just turned 40 years old, he has not trained hard in the sport for over 23 years due to his commitments in MMA.

“I'm trying to give back to the sport what it gave me. I started taekwondo, it was taekwondo that changed my story. I'm already training, I've never stopped training. It's something I've always wanted to do. There was no possibility before due to commitments with the UFC. I stopped training taekwondo when I was 17. I will encounter difficulties, but it is a challenge that I am willing to face. I’m not worried about being embarrassed,” he said, in an excerpt reproduced by the “Globo Esporte” website.

As the country hosting the Olympics, Brazil is guaranteed four places in the competition, two for women and two for men. In addition to these, four other places can be won by Brazilians according to their position in the Olympic ranking. The heavyweight category (over 80 kg), in which Anderson will compete, will be one of those that will have a guaranteed place. The selections take place at the beginning of 2016, with dates yet to be defined.

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