Following Gabriela Moreschi’s outstanding performance in last week’s victory over Spain, the Brazilian public fell in love and her Instagram following skyrocketed to 320,000.
I had the chance to meet the 30-year-old keeper for a wide-ranging chat about her Olympic experience, what it means for the sport at home and her own long-winding road to her recent breakthroughs at the top level.
Moreschi was keen to emphasise that her focus is fully on the handball tournament, rather than soaking in the Olympic environment and that reaching the quarter-finals is a must for the team. Following her dramatic run to the Champions League final with underdogs Bietigheim this year, she knows better than anyone that group rankings mean nothing when it comes to the knockout stages.
But to get there, Brazil must beat Angola in their final preliminary round match on Saturday at 14:00 CEST. Listen to the full chat below.