Sports
Inside Ricardo Cintra's Journey Coaching Poliana Okimoto
In an interview with Natação Stemma, the coach details daily pressure, 21 altitude training camps, and Olympic success.
Speaking on the Natação Stemma podcast, Ricardo Cintra reflected on his intense 15-year journey as coach and husband to Olympic medalist Poliana Okimoto. He detailed the physical and emotional toll of elite sports, years of trial and error in open water swimming, and his current work with amateur athletes.
The journey that led Poliana Okimoto to the Olympic podium in marathon swimming at the Rio 2016 Games relied on a very specific technical and personal partnership. For 15 years, Ricardo Cintra juggled two high-demand roles: husband and head coach, responsible for planning every detail in the routine of one of Brazil's greatest athletes. In an interview on the Natação Stemma podcast, Cintra shared how this daily dynamic worked and the absolute commitment required by elite sports.
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Full-Time Dedication and Champion-Level Logistics
Unlike coaches who clock out after training on the pool deck, Cintra's routine extended 24 hours a day at home. The goal was to shield the athlete from off-field fatigue so she could focus solely on swimming, resting, and nutrition. Cintra took on sponsor negotiations, coordination with the Brazilian Confederation of Aquatic Sports (CBDA), accompaniment during late-night physical therapy and massage sessions, as well as strict oversight of supplementation schedules.
This level of preparation was refined across three Olympic cycles. At Beijing 2008, a lack of experience in marathon swimming worked against the duo. At London 2012, moving to Rio de Janeiro caused emotional strain by taking the swimmer away from her family. For Rio 2016, however, every aspect of the plan was meticulously adjusted to eliminate any margin for error, culminating in a historic bronze medal.
Eight Years of Testing and Pioneering Open Water Swimming
When he first started structuring workouts for marathon swimming, Cintra faced a shortage of scientific methodologies dedicated to the discipline in Brazil. His periodization strategy was built through hands-on practice, pinpointing critical needs such as strength and leg drive to withstand the final meters of competition.
The coach estimates it took eight years of trial and error to fully master designing macrocycles and microcycles for high-performance open water swimming. Throughout this process, acclimatization became a core pillar: Cintra logged 21 altitude training blocks over 15 years, establishing protocols that later served as benchmarks for other coaches and national teams.
The Emotional Toll of Dual Roles
The marital bond amplified the emotional stakes at every international competition. Cintra notes that the accumulated stress triggered physical health issues, including severe gastritis and acid reflux that eventually required surgery years later.
During the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, the stress reached a physical breaking point. Watching the thrilling photo finish that sealed Okimoto's victory, the coach suffered a severe diaphragm cramp and muscular lockup from anxiety, forcing him to sit down to avoid passing out during the celebration.
Other Athletes and the Shift to Amateur Coaching
Although his name is most closely tied to Poliana Okimoto, Cintra also developed and refined other standout swimmers. He coached names like Matheus Masami—who clocked 3:43 in the short-course 400m freestyle, ranking among the world top five—as well as Monique Peres, Matheus Bertazzoli, and Caio Viana, a talent discovered in Juventus's youth program who later excelled in backstroke.
Following the Olympic medal in Rio 2016, Cintra concluded his career in high-performance sports. He spent three more years working in youth development before finding lasting professional fulfillment coaching amateur swimmers and triathletes through the Okimoto & Cintra sports consultancy, leaving behind the exhausting grind of Olympic athletics.
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