Nicole Silveira
Silveira in 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nicole Rocha Silveira | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Brazilian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 7 May 1994 Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 70 kg (154 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Brazil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Skeleton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nicole Rocha Silveira (born 7 May 1994) is a Brazilian skeleton racer and former bobsledder who competes on the Skeleton World Cup.
Silveira represents Brazil at Winter Olympics.
At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Silveira achieved the best result ever recorded by a Brazilian athlete in sliding sports on the Winter Olympic Games history, placing 11th overall.[1]
During the 2026 Winter Olympics, Silveira declared in an interview for Sportv that she considers herself to be among the best professional female skeleton racers in the world. [2]
Career
Silveira made her Skeleton World Championships debut in the 2019 edition in Whistler, finishing in 25th place. In the following edition in Altenberg, she finished in 24th place. She made her Skeleton World Cup debut in the 2020–21 season, where she only competed in 5 of the 8 scheduled races and finished 22nd overall. In the 2021 World Championships, Silveira finished in 17th.
Silveira started the 2021–22 season with three victories at the North American Cup in Whistler, won another race of the Intercontinental Cup also in Whistler, and won two more races of the North American Cup in Park City. After that great start, she went on to the World Cup, competing in the last six of the eight scheduled events and finishing 19th overall. In this season, she obtained her best World Cup result until then, a 9th place in Altenberg. In the following World Cup, Silveira competed in all races, starting the season with an 8th place in Whistler and finishing 11th overall. In the 2023 World Championships, she had her best result, finishing 16th. In the 2023–24 Skeleton World Cup, Silveira had her best World Cup result, a 7th place in Igls.
Silveira also competed in the 2017–18 Bobsleigh World Cup, where she placed 18th in the standings.
Representing Brazil at the 2022 Winter Olympics, she finished in 13th place after four runs. It was Brazil's best result in a Winter Olympics in sliding sports, and the second best result for the South American nation comprising all events.[3]
Silveira’s best career results were winning the bronze medal at two of the World Cup stages of the 2024–25 season[4], and another bronze medal at one of the World Cup stages of the 2025–26 season.
On 6 February 2026, Silveira, participated in the opening of the 2026 Winter Olympics as the bearer of the flag of Brazil alongside Lucas Pinheiro Braathen.[5][6][7]
On 13 and 14 February 2026, Silveira competed in the skeleton competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics, finishing 11th overall. With this result, she once again recorded the best performance by a Brazilian athlete in a sliding sport at the Winter Olympic Games, improving her results from the 2022 games.[1]
World Cup results
All results are sourced from the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF).[8]
| Season | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Points | Place | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | SIG 1 18 |
SIG 2 18 |
IGL 1 18 |
IGL 2 18 |
WIN DNP |
STM DNP |
KON 20 |
IGL 3 DNP |
388 | 22nd | ||
| 2021–22 | IGL 1 DNP |
IGL 2 DNP |
ALT 1 14 |
WIN 1 16 |
ALT 2 9 |
SIG 24 |
WIN 2 18 |
STM 18 |
565 | 19th | ||
| 2022–23 | WHI 8 |
PAC 10 |
LPL 12 |
WIN 14 |
ALT 1 10 |
ALT 2 16 |
IGL 16 |
SIG 12 |
1008 | 11th | ||
| 2023–24 | YAN 11 |
LAP 16 |
IGL 7 |
STM 12 |
LIL 10 |
SIG 26 |
ALT 24 |
LAK 18 |
833 | 14th | ||
| 2024–25 | PYE 1 3 |
PYE 2 6 |
YAN DNP |
ALT 7 |
SIG 14 |
WIN 8 |
STM 3 |
LIL 6 |
1192 | 6th |
DNP – did not participate
Personal life
Silveira also practiced artistic gymnastics, football, volleyball, bodybuilding and weightlifting in her teenage years.
Silveira holds a nursing degree and works as a nurse at the Alberta Children's Hospital, Canada during skeleton off-season. She has been on the front line during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]
Silveira, who is openly bisexual,[10] is married to a fellow skeleton racer Kim Meylemans.[3][11]
Team BB
A personal relationship between Nicole Silveira and her wife Kim Meylemans of Belgium led to the formation of a joint sporting initiative on the international skeleton circuit.[12]
The partnership became known as “Team BB,” referencing the initials of Brazil and Belgium. The collaboration was motivated by the logistical and financial challenges faced by both nations, which are considered emerging competitors in the sport compared to traditional skeleton powerhouses. By combining financial resources and sharing technical staff and preparation structures, the athletes sought to strengthen their competitiveness in international competitions, such as the IBSF Skeleton World Cup.[12]
In an interview with Olympics.com in November 2025, Silveira stated that the joint effort allowed two smaller skeleton nations to build a stronger team.[12]
“We realized that we could combine our finances from Belgium and Brazil, two small nations in the sport, to form a strong team"- Declared Silveira to Olympics.com in November 2025.
“Belgium and Brazil are two B’s. She’s blonde, I’m brunette—two more B’s. Our coach’s last name is Bromley, so it’s all about the B’s. It’s also nice to feel like I have a team. I’m the only Brazilian on the World Cup circuit, so I used to do everything on my own—Kim did too. Now we have double the chances of winning a medal. If either she or I reaches the podium, it’s also a medal for the team.”- Silveira added
References
- ^ a b "Skeleton: Em 11º, Nicole Silveira tem melhor resultado da história no gelo". CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 14 February 2026. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
- ^ "Emocionada, Nicole Silveira comemora performance no skeleton". Globoplay (in Portuguese). Grupo Globo. 14 February 2026. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
- ^ a b "These 2 out Olympians are dating, and getting ready to compete against one another in Beijing". Outsports. 26 January 2022. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- ^ "Nicole Silveira é bronze, e Brasil leva 1ª medalha em Copa do Mundo de esportes de inverno". ge (in Brazilian Portuguese). 16 November 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "All Flagbearers Named for Milano Cortina 2026 Opening Ceremony". Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "Milano Cortina 2026, Moncler returns to the Winter Olympics with Team Brazil". nss sports. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ Holmes, Jon. "1 out LGBTQ Olympian to carry flag at Winter Olympics opening". OutSports. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ IBSF website
- ^ "Quem é Nicole Silveira, enfermeira e melhor atleta brasileira no skeleton". UOL Esportes (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ "At least 36 out LGBTQ athletes in Beijing Winter Olympics, a record". Outsports. 26 January 2022. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022.
- ^ "Silveira e Meylemans, perceria dentro e fora do skeleton". Olympics (in Brazilian Portuguese). 5 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Nicole Silveira e sua esposa juntaram forças no skeleton ..." Olympics.com (in Portuguese). International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 25 February 2026.