Maria Joaquina Cavalcanti Reikdal (pronounced [maɾ'ia ʒoak'ina kavawkɐ̃ntʃi ɾeykdaw]; born March 29, 2008) is a Brazilian figure skater and artistic roller skater. She is the 2023 World Artistic Inline Skating junior champion[1] and 2021 silver medalist,[2] the 2023 South American Inline Artistic Skating champion, and three-time Brazilian artistic inline skating junior national champion (2021-2023).
| Maria Reikdal | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Maria Joaquina Cavalcanti Reikdal | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | March 29, 2008 | |||||||||||||||||
| Hometown | Curitiba, Brazil | |||||||||||||||||
| Height | 154 cm (5 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||
| Figure skating career | ||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Brazil | |||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Gustavo Cavalcanti | |||||||||||||||||
| Skating club | Footwork Patinação e Dança | |||||||||||||||||
| Began skating | 2017 | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||
In figure skating, she is a four-time Brazilian junior national champion (2021-2024) and the first transgender woman to compete in an ISU sanctioned figure skating event.[3][4]
Personal life
editReikdal was put in foster care at the age of six after neglectful and abusive behavior from her biological family towards her and her siblings. At the orphanage, she suffered bullying from the other kids, as well as physical and verbal abuse from the carers for behaving in a feminine way despite being assigned male at birth.[5] She was adopted, along with her two siblings, by Cleber Reikdal and Gustavo Uchoa Cavalcanti on December 4, 2016.[6] A few months before her ninth birthday, she came out as a transgender girl to her family and, shortly after, began receiving psychological support at the Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo's Research Institute's Transdisciplinary Ambulatory of Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation (AMTIGOS).[7]
In 2020, Reikdal managed to legally change her name and her legal sex marker on her birth certificate after a three-year legal battle.[8] That way, she satisfied the skating federations' requirements to skate in the women's category for pre-pubescent transgender girls at the time.
Her journey gained national attention after experiencing discrimination in 2019 during the national and South American artistic roller skating championships. Reikdal became a symbol of the fight against prejudice and was invited to appear in a music video for singer Pablo Vittar.[9]
Skating career
editEarly career
editReikdal began skating at eight, influenced by her parents, both artistic roller skating coaches. She placed second in her age category in the girls' segment at the Brazilian Artistic Skating Championships in 2019, which secured her a spot at the 2019 South American Artistic Skating Championships. However, she was not called up for the competition due to her legal documents not being updated to reflect her name and gender. In Brazil, minors can only get their name changed through a judge's decision[10] and thus, her family had to go to court to get authorization for her to compete.[11] Although granted permission, she faced discrimination at the championship such as not being allowed to wear the official team outfit or use the bathroom at the event.[12] She finished 13th in the competition after falling four times during her performance.[13]
Encouraged by her father and coach, Reikdal decided to focus on figure skating, training on inline skates when ice was unavailable and aiming for the 2026 Winter Olympics.[14] She won gold in the advanced novice category at the 2019 Brazilian Figure Skating Championships with a score of 50.70, a higher score than all the junior ladies' at that year.[15]
2021-2022 season: International artistic inline skating debut
editAt 13, she moved to the junior category and won both the 2020[16] (which took place a year later) and 2021[17] artistic inline skating national championships, earning a spot on the national team for the 2021 World Championships.[18] She became the youngest skater on the national team and finished as the junior silver medalist with a total score of 102.99 points.[19] This achievement made her the first medalist from Curitiba in a World Artistic Skating Championship, which earned her a special sports merit medal from the city mayor.[20]
In December 2021, she won the junior title at the Brazilian Figure Skating Championships, landing her first triple jump, a triple Salchow, in a figure skating competition.[21]
2022-2023 season: International figure skating debut
editReikdal began 2022 with another Junior national championship win in artistic inline skating,[22] earning a spot in the South American Roller Sports Game.[23] She declined the spot after being invited to attend an ISU training camp in Italy for figure skating,[24] in order to improve her technique and compete at the 2022-23 ISU Junior Grand Prix series.[25]
In July 2022, Reikdal won her second junior title at the Brazilian Figure Skating Championships. In September, she became the first Brazilian-born athlete to compete in the junior women's category in an ISU sanctioned event and the first transgender skater to compete internationally in junior ice skating.[3] In her first competition in September at the 2022 JGP Latvia, she finished 33rd out of 34 skaters.[26] The following month she competed at the 2022 JGP Italy, where she placed 39th out of 44 skaters.
After facing harassment and discrimination from an official of the Brazilian Ice Sports Federation,[27] Reikdal spent four months away from skating before returning in January 2023.[28]
2023-2024 season: World Junior artistic inline champion
editIn February 2023, Reikdal returned to artistic inline skating competition, winning the 2023 Brazilian Artistic Roller Skating Championship at the junior artistic inline category and earning another spot in the South American Roller Sports Games. In April, she won her first South American title in junior inline artistic skating.[29]
In July, she won her third consecutive junior title at the Brazilian Figure Skating Championships, qualifying for the Junior Grand Prix stages in Linz and Osaka.[30] She went on to compete at the 2023 JGP Austria, finishing 31st. She withdrew from her second JGP event in Japan in order to compete at the Artistic Skating World Championships.
In September 2023, Reikdal became the junior inline world champion at the 2023 World Artistic Skating Championship in Ibagué, Colombia, with a total score of 106.66 points.[31] In the mixed zone, she expressed gratitude for the support she received and discussed her future plans, emphasizing the ongoing challenges of dealing with prejudice in sports.[32]
2024-25 season
editIn July 2024, Reikdal competed in the Brazilian Figure Skating Championships, winning her fourth consecutive junior title.
Programs
edit| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025 |
by Billie Eilish |
by Claude-Michel Schönberg |
|
| 2023-2024 |
by Henry Jackman by John Farrar |
Queen Orchestral Medley
by Brian May, John Deacon e Freddie Mercury
by Dolly Parton e Nick Patrick
by John Lennon e Paul McCartney |
|
| 2022-2023 |
by Henry Jackman by Alan Menken |
Rio
by John Powell
by Carlinhos Brown and Mikael Mutti by Astor Piazzolla by Astor Piazzolla
by Vanessa-Mae
performed by Bond |
by Alan Menken |
| 2021–2022 |
performed by Boyce Avenue |
performed by Lara Fabian
by Giacomo Puccini
|
performed by Lara Fabian
de Giacomo Puccini
performed by Tori Kelly |
| 2019–2020 |
por Lea Salonga e Brad Kane
performed by Aladdin's Original Broadway Cast |
por Gloria Gaynor |
performed by Pabllo Vittar
by Elton John |
| 2018-2019 |
performed by Deloris & The Sisters |
Competitive highlights
editFigure skating for Brazil
edit| International: Junior[33] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 21–22 | 22–23 | 23–24 | 24–25 |
| JGP Austria | 31st | |||
| JGP Italy | 39th | |||
| JGP Latvia | 33rd | |||
| National[33] | ||||
| Brazilian Championships | 1st J | 1st J | 1st J | 1st J |
| J = Junior level | ||||
Artistic inline skating for Brazil
edit| International: Junior | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| World Championships | C | 2nd J | 1st J | |
| South American Championships | WD | 1st J | ||
| National[33] | ||||
| Brazilian Championships | 1st E | 1st J | 1st J | 1st J |
| Levels: E = Espoire; J = Junior C = Cancelled | ||||
- ^ Koga, Gabriele. "Brasileira é campeã mundial de patinação artística na Colômbia". CNN Brasil. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
- ^ Delas, iG (2021-10-05). "Patinadora trans é prata no Campeonato Mundial de Patinação artística". Portal iG. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
- ^ a b "Pierwsza transseksualna łyżwiarka w historii. Brazylijka wystąpiła w Junior Grand Prix" [Primeira patinadora transgênero da história, brasileira estreia no Grand Prix Júnior]. Przegląd Sportowy Onet (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-09-12.
- ^ Longo, Gustavo (2021-12-21). "Patinação Artística do Brasil: país encontra caminho com jovens atletas". Olimpíada Todo Dia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ^ "'Sofri assédio e transfobia e hoje sou a primeira atleta transgênero do Brasil em competições de patinação no gelo'". Marie Claire (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2023-06-26. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
- ^ "Dois pais, três filhos e muito amor: 'nossa família existe'". Ponte Jornalismo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
- ^ Fantástico | Menina transgênero luta por direito de participar de competições de patinação femininas Assista online (in Brazilian Portuguese), retrieved 2021-10-16
- ^ "Maria Joaquina, patinadora trans, conquista na Justiça retificação de nome e gênero". Rede NINJA (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-11-11.
- ^ Godinho, Rafael (9 October 2021). "Pabllo Vittar faz surpresa para Maria Joaquina, atleta mirim trans barrada em Campeonato Sul-Americano". Revista Quem; Globo. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Orientações para retificação de nome e gênero". Defensoria Pública do Espírito Santo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-10-16.
- ^ Bassette, Fernanda (19 April 2019). "Aos 11, menina trans é barrada em campeonato de patinação". Placar.
- ^ Bortolo, Kizzy (5 October 2019). ""Os organizadores do evento fizeram uma foto oficial e somente Maria não foi convidada. Deram presentes para todos, menos para ela", diz pai de atleta trans". Revista Marie Claire. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Aos 11, menina trans é barrada em campeonato de patinação - Placar - O futebol sem barreiras para você" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ Franceschi Neto, Virgílio (2021-12-16). "No embalo dos Jogos de Inverno: vem aí o Campeonato Brasileiro de patinação artística". Olympics.com. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ^ "Campeonato Brasileiro de Patinação Artística no Gelo de 2019 - Resultados Finais" (PDF). CBDG. 13 October 2019.
- ^ "Campeonato Brasileiro, Torneio Nacional e Aspirantes de Patinação Artística 2020 – Resultados". CBHP.
- ^ "Campeonato Brasileiro e Torneio Nacional de Patinação Artística Santos 2021 – Resultados". CBHP.
- ^ "Convocação da Seleção Brasileira de Patinação Artística para o Campeonato Mundial Asunción Paraguay 2021 – CBHP – Confederação Brasileira de Hóquei e Patinação" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-11-11.
- ^ "Campeonato Mundial de Patinação Artística Asunción Paraguay 2021 – CBHP – Confederação Brasileira de Hóquei e Patinação" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-11-11.
- ^ "Atleta curitibana de 13 anos ganha medalha de prata no Mundial de Patinação". Prefeitura de Curitiba. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
- ^ "Torneio Ice Brasil e Campeonato Brasileiro de Patinação Artística no Gelo 2021" (PDF). CBDG. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
- ^ "Campeonato Brasileiro Balneário Camboriú 2022 - Inline Júnior Feminino". CBHP. 26 March 2022.
- ^ "Patinação Artística – Atualização da Convocação da Seleção Brasileira para os I Jogos Sul Americanos dos Esportes Sobre Rodas San Juan – Argentina 2022". CBHP – Confederação Brasileira de Hóquei e Patinação (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-05-14.
- ^ "A todos atletas filiados e comunidade da Patinação Artística no Gelo". www.cbdg.org.br. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
- ^ Vecchioli, Demétrio (2022-05-23). "Maria Joaquina migra para o gelo e entra na rota olímpica de 2026". Uol (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-05-28.
- ^ Gentile, Gabriel (2022-09-09). "Maria Joaquina fica em 33º no Junior Grand Prix na Letônia". Olimpíada Todo Dia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-09-10.
- ^ "Olhar Olímpico - Patinadora trans diz ter sofrido assédio e violência em 1ª vez na seleção". www.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-03-31.
- ^ Bortolo, Kizzy (2023-06-26). "'Sofri assédio e transfobia e hoje sou a primeira atleta transgênero do Brasil em competições de patinação no gelo'". Marie Claire (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-09-24.
- ^ "Convocação da Seleção Brasileira de Patinação Artística para os Jogos Sul-Americanos dos Esportes Sobre Rodas 2023" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "Convocação Seleção de Atletas Para o Isu Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2023/24" (PDF). CBDG. 16 June 2023.
- ^ "Inline JR - Ladies". Mundial Artístico 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
- ^ Koga, Gabriele; Bernardes, Vinicius (2023-09-24). "Brasileira é campeã mundial de patinação artística na Colômbia". CNN Brasil. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
- ^ a b c "Competition Results: Maria REIKDAL (BRA)". International Skating Union.