Rafaela Silva

Rafaela Lopes Silva (born 24 April 1992) is a Brazilian judoka. She won gold medals at the World Judo Championships of 2013 and 2022 and at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the –57 kg weight division. Currently, she occupies the rank of graduation third sergeant in the Navy of Brazil and integrates the Center of Physical Education Admiral Nunes (CEFAN), the Military Sports Department.

In August 2013, she was the first Brazilian woman to become a world champion in Judo.

Biography
Rafaela Silva grew up in the Rio de Janeiro slum known as Cidade de Deus. The first sport she liked was football, practicing against other children in a dirt field near her home in Jacarepagua. Because they were concerned with fights and violence in the streets, when Rafaela was 7 years old her parents Luiz Carlos and Zenilda Silva signed her up, together with her sister, Raquel, for judo classes at the Institute Reaction, newly fitted at Cidade de Deus by the former athlete Flávio Canto.

"I started judo in 2000, early in the project. My father put me in the sport as an alternative to fighting in the street. In Judo, I found discipline, I respect the other and began to take the sport seriously. Judo showed me the world. With the resources I get, I guarantee my support and help my family pay the bills. "

Judo career
Silva won her first major medal by claiming silver at the 2011 World Judo Championships in Paris. During the 2013 World Judo Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Silva became the first Brazilian woman to ever win a gold medal for her country in a World Judo Championship after defeating American Marti Malloy in the final. She repeated the feat at the 2016 Summer Olympics by defeating Mongolian Sumiya Dorjsuren in the final.

At the 2012 London Olympics, Silva was disqualified for an illegal leg grab during a fight against Hedvig Karakas of Hungary. Upon returning home, she became depressed. In December 2012, she was a bronze medalist at the Judo Grand Slam Tokyo (category up to 63 kg).

Silva won gold and bronze in 2019 Pan American Games and 2019 Judo World Championships, respectively, but tested positive for fenoterol after the former tournament. Despite testing negative in the World Championships, she was banned from competition for two years by IJF and stripped of both medals. Silva appealed the sanction, but the CAS upheld the ban in late 2020.

Mixed martial arts career
Being temporarily banned from judo, Silva opted to transition to mixed martial arts. She is currently training at PFL athlete Joilton Santos' gym Peregrino Fight Academy with UFC athlete Cláudio Silva and is expected to compete in the Flyweight division.

Personal life
In an interview with Globo Esporte, Rafaela came out as gay. She spoke about her girlfriend Thamara Cezar, whom she met via judo.