Julia Ribeiro: Brazil’s Rising 400-Meter Star

Julia Aparecida Rocha Ribeiro is one of Brazil’s most promising young track and field athletes, specializing in the 400 meters. At 20 years old, the sprinter from Londrina has already established herself as a dominant force in South American athletics, with multiple Brazilian and continental titles to her name. Competing for Praia Clube-CEMIG-Exército and representing the Londrina/FEL/IPEC athletics program, Ribeiro has emerged as one of the brightest young talents in Brazilian track and field.

Track and Field Accomplishments

400 Meters Dominance

Julia Ribeiro has established herself as one of Brazil’s premier 400-meter runners across multiple age categories, demonstrating remarkable consistency and improvement throughout her young career.

Brazilian Championships:

• Two-time Brazilian champion in the 400 meters (Sub-18 and Sub-20 categories)
• Brazilian Sub-23 champion in the 400 meters
• Five total Brazilian titles across different age categories (Sub-18, Sub-20, and Sub-23) in the 400 meters

Personal Bests:

• Set a personal best of 52.80 seconds in the 400 meters at the 2025 Brazilian Sub-23 Championships in Bragança Paulista, winning the national title. This performance marked a breakthrough moment in her career, as she described having visualized this exact time in her dreams and journal work with her sports psychologist.

International Success

South American Championships:

• Three-time South American champion in the 400 meters: one title in the U20 category and two titles in the U18 category
• Medalist at the South American adult championships in relay events
• Has consistently dominated the 400 meters at the continental level in youth categories

Pan American Games:

• Medal winner in the 4×400 meter relay at the U20 Pan American Championships
• Competed for Brazil in multiple international relay events, showcasing her ability to perform on major championship stages

World School Games:

• World School champion in the medley relay 2, representing Brazil on the global stage in school-level competition

Additional Event Capabilities

While specializing in the 400 meters, Ribeiro has demonstrated versatility across multiple sprint and middle-distance events:

• 100 meters: Personal best of 12.60 seconds
• 200 meters: Personal best of 35.3 seconds (hand-timed)
• 800 meters: Personal best of 2:29.71
• 1000 meters: Personal best of 3:21.26

This range shows her exceptional speed-endurance combination and makes her a valuable asset in relay events.

Training and Development

Ribeiro trains under coach Gilberto Miranda, who has been instrumental in her development from a promising young athlete into a national and continental champion. She joined the Londrina Atletismo project six years ago and quickly began to make her mark on Brazilian athletics.

Coach Miranda has praised Ribeiro’s work ethic and dedication: “It’s work of many years, inside and outside the track.” The coach-athlete partnership has produced remarkable results, with Ribeiro consistently improving her performances and expanding her trophy collection.

In describing her approach to training and competition, Ribeiro emphasizes the mental aspect of her preparation. She works closely with a sports psychologist, using journaling and visualization techniques to set goals and mentally prepare for races. Prior to her 52.80-second performance at the 2025 Brazilian Sub-23 Championships, she had written about and visualized running that exact time. “I always work with my feelings and dreams with my psychologist and put things in a diary. I dreamed once about 52.86 and it came out 52.80. I’m very happy,” she explained after the race.

Career Development and Timeline

Ribeiro’s progression through Brazilian athletics has been marked by steady improvement and increasing dominance:

Early Career (2019-2021):

• Began competing at national level in Sub-16 and Sub-18 categories
• Established personal bests across multiple distances
• Started building her reputation as a 400-meter specialist

Breakthrough Years (2022-2024):

• Captured multiple Brazilian national titles across age categories
• Won three consecutive South American championships
• Established herself as Brazil’s top young 400-meter runner
• Competed at World School Games, earning a relay gold medal

Current Status (2025):

• Finalist for the Brazilian Athletics Confederation’s “Young Revelation” award for her 2024 performances
• Set personal best of 52.80 in the 400 meters
• Competing in the Sub-23 category while preparing for senior-level competition
• Training for qualification to major international championships including the World Athletics Championships

Recognition and Awards

In 2025, Ribeiro received significant recognition for her 2024 season performances when she was nominated as a finalist for the Prêmio Melhores do Ano (Best of the Year Award) in the “Young Revelation” category for women, presented by the Brazilian Athletics Confederation (CBAt). She was one of four finalists selected through voting on an independent and auditable platform, competing against Hakelly Souza, Luise Braga, and Viviany Lima.

Reflecting on the nomination, Ribeiro expressed gratitude for the recognition: “It’s always very important for you to know that what you’ve been doing has caught people’s attention. There are so many athletes in Brazil who stand out, and being among the finalists is already a great achievement.”

Coach Gilberto Miranda emphasized the significance of this recognition for the Londrina athletics program: “This nomination is highly relevant for the team and for athletics in Londrina and the region. It shows the growth of the project in recent years and how much it has positioned itself among the best in Brazil, competing on equal footing with the country’s top teams in terms of investment.”

Athletic Heritage and Program Impact

Ribeiro is a product of the Londrina Atletismo project, one of Brazil’s most successful regional athletics development programs. Based in Londrina, a city in the state of Paraná, the program has consistently produced national-level athletes and has established itself as one of Brazil’s premier training centers for track and field.

The Londrina/FEL/IPEC program’s investment in young athletes like Ribeiro demonstrates the effectiveness of Brazilian regional athletics development. The program provides comprehensive support including coaching, sports psychology, training facilities, and competition opportunities, allowing athletes to develop their full potential while remaining in their home region.

Personal Approach and Mental Preparation

One of Ribeiro’s distinguishing characteristics is her sophisticated approach to mental preparation and goal-setting. Her use of sports psychology, journaling, and visualization techniques reflects a mature understanding of the mental demands of elite athletics.

Her practice of writing down her goals and dreams, then working systematically to achieve them, demonstrates both her methodical approach to training and her belief in the power of mental preparation. The fact that she visualized running 52.86 seconds and then ran 52.80 seconds speaks to the precision of her mental focus and the integration of her psychological and physical preparation.

Career Aspirations and Future Goals

As a 20-year-old competing in the Sub-23 category, Ribeiro is at a crucial stage in her transition from youth to senior athletics. Her immediate goals include:

• Qualifying for the Junior Pan American Games and competing for medals
• Breaking the 52-second barrier in the 400 meters
• Qualifying for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan
• Competing at the Troféu Brasil de Atletismo, Brazil’s premier national competition
• Continuing to represent Brazil in relay events at senior championships
• Eventually competing at the Olympic Games and World Championships at the senior level

Her coach and support team see her as having the potential to become one of Brazil’s top senior 400-meter runners, with the possibility of competing at the highest levels of international athletics including the Olympics.

Training Philosophy

Ribeiro’s approach to athletics balances intense physical training with sophisticated mental preparation. Her emphasis on working with both her coach for physical development and a sports psychologist for mental training reflects an understanding that success at the elite level requires excellence in both domains.

The phrase “work of many years, inside and outside the track,” used by her coach, encapsulates the comprehensive nature of her training program. This includes not just the physical preparation on the track but also the mental preparation, recovery work, nutrition, and lifestyle choices that support high-performance athletics.

Impact on Brazilian Athletics

As one of the finalists for Brazil’s Young Revelation award and a multiple-time national and South American champion, Ribeiro represents the next generation of Brazilian track and field excellence. Her success in the 400 meters, an event where Brazil has historically produced world-class athletes, positions her as a potential future leader of Brazilian athletics.

Her dominance at the South American level (three continental titles) demonstrates Brazil’s continued strength in sprint events at the continental level, while her progression toward senior competition suggests she could help maintain Brazil’s competitive position at global championships.

Competitive Style

Ribeiro is known as a versatile 400-meter runner with the speed to compete in shorter sprints and the endurance to handle longer distances. Her personal bests across the 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m show an athlete with exceptional range, though she has clearly identified the 400 meters as her signature event.

Her ability to compete effectively in relay events—with medals at Pan American and South American championships—demonstrates her tactical awareness and ability to perform under pressure in team situations. The 400 meters demands both speed and endurance, along with sophisticated pacing and race strategy, all qualities that Ribeiro has developed throughout her career.

Personal Impact and Legacy Building

At just 20 years old, Ribeiro is already making her mark on Brazilian athletics history. Her three South American titles and multiple Brazilian championships have established her as one of the most successful young athletes in her country. As she continues to improve and transition to senior competition, she has the potential to become one of Brazil’s premier 400-meter runners at the global level.

Her story also highlights the effectiveness of regional athletics programs in Brazil, showing that with proper support, coaching, and infrastructure, talented athletes can develop into champions without necessarily relocating to major metropolitan centers.

Representing Londrina

Ribeiro takes pride in representing her home city of Londrina and the broader Paraná region. Her success has brought national attention to the Londrina athletics program and has inspired younger athletes in the region. The recognition she received through her award nomination was celebrated not just as a personal achievement but as validation of the entire Londrina athletics project and its place among Brazil’s elite training programs.

As Julia Aparecida Rocha Ribeiro continues her athletic journey, she carries with her the hopes of her city, her training program, and Brazilian athletics. With multiple national and continental titles already secured and personal bests continuing to fall, she represents the future of Brazilian sprinting and the potential for continued success on the world stage.

Go Julia!