2021 Brazilian Trials – Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2021 BRAZILIAN OLYMPIC TRIALS

It’s night 1 of the 2021 Brazilian Olympic Swimming Trials, meaning that Brazil’s top swimmers will be getting their first shot to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The most heated race of the night is likely to be the men’s 100 breast in which the top 5 entrants were separated by only 0.97 seconds. Felipe Silva managed to get under the Olympic qualifying standard of 59.93 during the prelims with a 59.74. Joining him in the final will be a tough field to the tune of João Luiz Gomes Júnior (1:00.06), Caio Pumputis (1:00.11), Felipe Silva (1:00.55), and Pedro Cardona (1:00.71). All 5 of them will battle in out with the goal of earning a top 2 finish under 59.93.

Adding to the action, we will see the women’s 100 fly, men’s 400 free, and both the men’s and women’s 400 IM. Follow along below for a live recap and analysis.

Men’s 400 IM – Final

  • Olympic Qualifying Standard: 4:15.84
  • Brazilian National Record: 4:08.86 – Thiago Pereira (2009)

Top 3

  1. Brandonn Almeida – 4:16.49
  2. Leonardo Santos – 4:18.07
  3. Stephan Steverink – 4:21.36

Brandonn Almeida was incredibly close to the Olympic selection standard in the men’s 400 IM final as he touched with a 4:16.49, compared to the 4:15.84 it would have taken to earn consideration. Almeida has been under the cut before, holding a PB in the event of 4:12.49 from 2016. Almeida also raced the event for Brazil at the 2019 World Championships where he placed 11th in a 4:15.92.

Coming in shortly after Almeida, Leonardo Santos hit a new PB in the event with a 4:18.07 for silver, improving upon his 4:18.90 from 2018 and shaved a significant amount of time off his 4:33.03 from prelims.

The top seed heading into the final was Stephan Steverink who swam a 4:23.16 and ultimately fell to bronze medal status in the event with a 4:21.36. Icaro Pereira, Bruce Almeida, and Conrado Lino filled out the top 6 with a 4:25.46, 4:30.59, and 4:31.79, respectively.

Women’s 100 Butterfly – Final

  • Olympic Qualifying Standard: 57.92
  • Brazilian National Record: 56.94 – Gabrielle Silva (2009)

Top 3

  1. Giovanna Diamante – 59.03
  2. Daynara Paula – 59.41
  3. Clarissa Rodrigues – 59.63

The 3 leading women in the 100 butterfly delivered 3 sub-minute swims just as they did during the prelims but none were quick enough to get under the 57.92 Olympic selection cut in the event.

Giovanna Diamante was the closest to the mark between the three and even got close to the 58-second range. Her fastest time on record prior to the meet was a 59.31 from 2019 meaning that her 59.03 is a new PB.

Daynara Paula maintained her second seed from the prelims, going from a 59.53 earlier in the day to a 59.41 finals swim. That was just a touch quicker than bronze medalist Clarissa Rodrigues‘ 59.63.

Men’s 400 Freestyle – Final

  • Olympic Qualifying Standard: 3:46.78
  • Brazilian National Record: 3:46.57 – Guilherme Costa (2019)

Top 3

  1. Guilherme Costa – 3:45.85
  2. Fernando Scheffer – 3:47.77
  3. Murilo Sartori – 3:51.32

The men’s 400 freestyle came down to a nail-biting finish as Guilherme Costa raced against the clock to get in ahead of the 3:46.78 selection cut. Costa won the race and managed to become the first-ever Brazilian and South American man to swim under the 3:46 mark in the event, establishing a new mark of 3:45.85.

The swim for Costa makes him the 7th fastest man in the world this season.

2020-2021 LCM Men 400 Free

2Jack
McLoughlin
AUS3:43.2706/12
3Ahmed
Hafnaoui
TUN3:43.3607/24
4Henning
Muehilleitner
GER3:43.6707/24
5Felix
Auboeck
AUT3:43.9107/24
6Mack
Horton
AUS3:43.9206/12
7Kieran
Smith
USA3:43.9407/24
8Martin
Malyutin
RUS3:44.1805/17
View Top 26»

With the swim, Costa lowered his own national record from the 3:46.57 he set back in 2019 at the Toyota U.S. Open. He also became Brazil’s first official Olympic qualifier of the meet and is set to race at his first Olympics this summer.

Costa was the sole qualifier in the event as Fernando Scheffer just missed the cut with his 3:47.77 for second place and Murilo Sartori trailed with a 3:51.32 for third.

Notably, 2016 Olympian Luiz Altamir Melo finished last in the final with a 3:57.48, slower than his prelim swim of 3:55.32 and his 2016 Olympic swim of 3:50.82.

Women’s 400 IM – Final

  • Olympic Qualifying Standard: 4:38.53
  • Brazilian National Record: 4:38.07 – Joanna Maranhão (2015)

Top 3

  1. Gabrielle Gonçalves – 4:45.51
  2. Nathalia Almeida – 4:47.97
  3. Fernanda Goeij – 4:52.40

The women’s 400 IM field landed a bit further away from the Olympic selection cut than the men did as Gabrielle Gonçalves led the way with a 4:45.51. That’s a decent improvement upon her prelim swim in the event of 4:52.44 but was not the 4:38.52 she needed to earn consideration for the Olympic team.

Nathalia Almeida joined Gonçalves on the podium as silver medalist with a 4:47.97 while Fernanda Goeij took bronze in the event with a 4:52.40.

Brazil hasn’t had a woman get back down to where Joanna Maranhão left things when she hit a 4:38.15 at the 2016 Olympics. Maranhão holds the national record in the event at a 4:38.07 to take bronze at the 2015 Pan American Games.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Final

  • Olympic Qualifying Standard: 59.93
  • Brazilian National Record: 59.01 – Felipe Silva (2016)

Top 3

  1. Felipe Lima – 59.43
  2. João Luiz Gomes Júnior – 1:00.15
  3. Caio Pumputis – 1:00.25

In a bit of a surprising twist, only one man qualified to swim 100 breaststroke in Tokyo during the finals heat of the event. Felipe Lima powered his way to a 59.43 to get under the selection mark of 59.93 and get within half a second of Felipe Silva‘s 59.01 national record.

The surprising part is that neither 2016 Olympian in the event; João Luiz Gomes Júnior or Felipa Silva managed to get under the minute mark or the selection cut. Gomes and Silva raced the event together in Rio 2016 and both made it all the way to the final. Gomes wound up placing 5th in the event with a 59.31 while Silva earned 7th in a 59.38.

In tonight’s final, Gomes touched in second place to Lima with a 1:00.15 while Silva actually fell to 5th place with a 1:01.01. In between the two, Caio Pumputis posted a 1:00.25 which was just off his prelim swim of 1:00.11 and Pedro Cardona notched a 1:00.37 for fourth.

In This Story

23
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

23 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

Bruno’s 21.7 is looking pretty safe at this rate.

Gui Ferreira
2 years ago

You forgot to tell the best story of the day:
2008 – Felipe Lima who was national record holder finished 3rd staying out of the team.
2012 – Felipe makes the team with a big time drop and finishes 13th in London
2013 – 3rd place in Barcelona WC
2016 – doesn’t qualify for Rio
2021 – at the age of 36 qualifies again for the team.

Congrats Felipe,big example of dedication for Brazil’s generations to come.

BLL
2 years ago

Can you go over there selection procedure? Can athletes make it if they miss the cut?

Admin
Reply to  BLL
2 years ago

Not unless they’re one of the 5 who tested positive and have a makeup meet on June 12.

Otherwise, you win or place 2nd in an A final this week, and hit the FINA “A” cut in that A final, you’re in.

Rafael
Reply to  Braden Keith
2 years ago

Unless they decide to use times from other meetings that were eligible. Brandon has a 4:13 from 2019

Rafael
Reply to  Braden Keith
2 years ago

Braden, there is a clause for this situation.

On the document regarding the classification for OG, the last Clause “H” say that the federation can choose in special cases to include the athlete on the team up to their criteria.

This can probably apply to athlete who have an A cut already, like Brandonn and Joao Gomes Jr.

Last edited 2 years ago by Rafael
Rafael
2 years ago

Brandonn and no one esse getting a 100 breast spot was disapointing

swimmerb
Reply to  Rafael
2 years ago

i thought França, João Gomes and Pumputis would make it. For Brandonn, i was really expecting something special due his performances when younger…

Reply to  swimmerb
2 years ago

swimmerb,
Brandonn told in the interview he still doesn’t know what happened. He did two 4.20 before taper and thought he would be much faster. He did 4:14.54 with little rest in December. He was always closing in 56,57… today he closed at 1:00.24!

Khachaturian
3 years ago

USA should trade a backstroker or freestyler for a breastroker from another country for the medley.

Andy
Reply to  Khachaturian
2 years ago

Not from Brazil apparently.

Troll in the Dungeon
3 years ago

Lovely weather they’re having.

Rafael
Reply to  Troll in the Dungeon
2 years ago

Still cannot understand why they did not choose an indoor pool like Pinheiros or others

FST
3 years ago

How old is Felipe Lima now? 35? 36? Good for him!

Last edited 3 years ago by FST
Reply to  FST
2 years ago

FST,
36 years-old.
he is born on the 5th of April of 1985.

Will 37
Reply to  FST
2 years ago

Lima’s stroke is actually looking smoother as he age. Incredible longevity also.

3 years ago

Another cut for Felipe Lima with 59.43 in 100breast.