Lara Teixeira (born 26 November 1987) is a Brazilian synchronized swimmer.[1] She competed in the women's duet at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics and was part of the Brazilian team at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[2][3] Her partner in 2008 and 2012 was Nayara Figueria.[3] The team of Teixeira and Figueria were known for their innovative choreography and irreverent costumes.[4] In total, Teixeira competed at 3 Olympic Games, 5 World Championships and 3 Pan American Games.[5]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Lara Puglia Teixeira |
| Nationality |  Brazil |
| Born | 26 November 1987 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Weight | 57 kg (126 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Swimming |
| Strokes | Synchronized swimming |
| Club | Tijuca Tennis Club |
| Updated on 22 May 2015 | |
Career
Teixeira took up synchronised swimming at the age of 8, and began to compete for Brazil two years later.[3] She was inspired by Camille Mourão, another Brazilian synchronised swimmer.[3] Her other role model is Gemma Mengual.[3]
In 2007, she won a bronze at the Pan American Games, held in Rio.[3] She also first teamed up with Figueria in this year, so their team only had a year's worth of experience when they competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[3] The Brazilian duet pair did not reach the final, finishing in 13th place.[3][4]
At the 2009 World Aquatic Championships, the pair made the final, finishing in 11th.[4][6]
At the 2012 Olympics, the team of Teixeria and Figueria missed the final by only 0.3 points.[3] Their technical routine costumes were in the style of Romero Brito and their music was by Arnaldo Antunes.[4] That year, Teixeria created an academy to help develop the sport of synchronised swimming in Brazil.[7] The team also won gold at the South American Synchronised Swimming Championships.[4]
She was appointed as an ambassador for the Youth Olympics for the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing.[3] At the time, she was not part of the Brazilian Olympic team, and she said the experience inspired her to fight harder and win a place in the team.[3][7]
She has the Olympic rings tattooed on her shoulder.[3]
She spent 3 years as the head coach of the New Zealand National Synchronised Swimming Team.[8]
Now she is the High Performance Manager, and Assistant Junior National Team Coach for the US synchronised swimming team.[5]