With the third day of the 2024 IBJJF World Championships wrapped up, we witnessed several new World Champions crowned in the blue, purple and brown belt divisions. The atmosphere was electrifying. We saw several stand out performances and athletes achieving the coveted 'Grand Slam'.  It was definitely a day for the girls and here are some of the athletes that stood out in our eyes.  

Sarah Galvao

The daughter of legends Andre and Angelica Galvao, Sarah is creating her own legacy. She's barely 17 years old and it's her first year in the adult divisions. Still, this Atos purple belt has won Europeans, Pans and the Brasileiros before securing gold in both her division and the open class of the World Championships. This has earned her the coveted ‘Grand Slam’ and the new rank of brown belt after being promoted today. Who knows what's next for this young phenom!

Alexa Herse

Another standout out of Atos is Juvenile 2 blue belt Alexa Herse. Much like her teammate, Sarah Galvao, Alexa also became World Champion in both her division and the open weight division. With that, she wraps up an incredible season in which she earned double gold in every single Grand Slam tournament - making her a double Grand Slam winner for the 2024 season. An incredible result that leaves us wondering what this young legend will achieve next. 

Vitória Gabriela

Another standout athlete that earned both double gold and a podium promotion is Vitória Gabriela. After a great season and tough matches in the middle weight and open weight class at the Worlds, she moves up to the rank of black belt.

Cassia Moura

Cassia won a blue belt world title in the gi and then a purple belt world title in no gi, after which she was promoted to brown belt. She faced off with her opponents in the World Championships and came out with the gold in her division and a bronze in the open weight division. She was then  promoted to black belt which means that Cassia Moura has made the journey from blue to black in less than a year. The IBJJF allows world champions to be promoted ahead of the usual ‘waiting’ period if they win world titles. On top of this, she’s only 18 years old! 

Mia, Ashlee & Natalee Funegra

Art of Jiu-Jitsu’s (AOJ) Funegra sisters were as consistent as always with all winning gold in their respective divisions. 15-year-old Natalee earned herself both the juvenile feather weight and absolute titles, while twins Mia and Ashlee secured the gold in the rooster and light-feather weight divisions, respectively. The twins then received their brown belts on the podium. We can't wait to see what's next!

Felipe Goulart

Another competitor out of AOJ, Felipe Goulart, fought his way to double gold in the Juvenile lightweight division and absolute division. He was promoted to purple belt by his professor Gui Mendes, and helped AOJ take out the number one ranking for the Youth Team at the World Championships.

Leo Ferreira and Robson Chaves

From Rio Grande do Sul, where the people have been suffering heavy rains for more than a month, Leo Ferreira took gold in the brown belt division. He also closed out with teammate Robson "No brake" Chaves in the absolute division and both were awarded their black belts on the podium. It's safe to say they'll be received with proud open arms once they make the journey home!

Other notable happenings

We saw the black belts compete today, and although the finals aren't happening until tomorrow, there were some standouts and other significant occurrences. Among the black belts, Jansen Gomez, Mica Galvao and Gabrieli Pessanha made waves on their first day of the tournament. Jansen and Gabrieli made their way to day two in both their weight division and the absolute divisions, while Mica Galvao was on a tear wasting no time. Meanwhile, black belt stand out and World Champion Tainan Dalpra, was disqualified for an illegal move and lost his chance to regain his title. 

Onto to Day 4…