3 South American Records Fall at Brazil’s Summer FAP Trophy

A trio of South American (and by extension 2  Brazilian) records were broken over the weekend at the Junior and Senior Paulista Championships and FAP Trophy. The results come 3 weeks shy of the start of Brazil’s Open Summer Championships.

In the men’s 1500 free, Guilherme Costa of Unisanta came excruciatingly close to clearing the 15-minutes barrier in the men’s 1500 free when he swam 15:00.54. That broke his own South American and Brazilian Records of 15:02.18 and marks the 3rd time that he’s lowered this record. Before his record onslaught began, the South American record stood at a 15:08.57 by Esteban Enderica of Ecuaror.

1500m Record Splits:

• 57.93
• 1:58.30
• 2:58.77
• 3:58.95
• 4:59.56
• 5:59.56
• 7:00.08
• 8:00.37
• 9:01.03
• 10:02.13
• 12:02.40
• 13:02.83
• 14:03.12
• 15: 00.54.

Later in the meet, he also broke the 800m record with a 7:56.29 that undercut both the Brazilian and South American Records in the event. The old Brazilian Record was 7:58.20 done by Luiz Arapiraca at the 2009 Maria Lenk Trophy, while the old South American Record of 7:57.60 was done by Argentina’s Martin Naidich at the 2013 Maria Lenk Trophy.

800m Record Splits:

• 57.14
• 1: 57.24
• 2: 57.63
• 3: 58.00 (2:00.76)
• 4: 58.60
• 5: 59.15 (2:01.15)
• 6: 59.48
• 7: 56.29. (1:57.14) (3:58.29)

On the same day as Costa’s 800 meter record, Julia Sebastian broke the 200 meter breaststroke South American Record with a 2:26.87. That slid just under her 2:27.04 from Maria Lenk as a personal best, and by an even narrower margin under her compatriot Macarena Ceballos’ time of 2:26.90 (also from Maria Lenk) as the South American and Argentinians Records.

After a surge by their non-Brazilian continental compatriots in the last year, Brazil has pushed back on their control of the South American Record books. Brazil now has 78 out of the 94 recognized continental senior records, or 83%.