The psych sheets have been released for the 2014 Jose Finkel Trophy that begins on Monday, September 1st and running through the 6th in Gauratingueta, in the state of Sao Paulo.
This meet is Brazil’s Short Course Championship, and also their selection meet for the 2014 World Short Course Championships. The World Short Course Championships are a meet that Brazil typically takes very seriously – especially Cesar Cielo, who skipped Pan Pacs to make sure that he was properly prepared for the short course season.
Cielo is entered in three events at the meet: the 50 free, the 100 free, and the 50 fly for the Minas team.
With a full-strength Cielo, along with several other high-profile male swimmers like Henrique Martins and Fernando Souza da Silva, Minas were strong title contenders as things sat. But at this meet, where there are heated battles for team points, Minas has solidified their status as favorites by bringing in the two highest-profile international swimmers for their roster: Dutch National Record holders Femke Heemskerk and Moniek Nijhuis.
As is the case will all Brazilian National Championships, teams are allowed to hire foreign swimmers to represent them at the meet. The most successful teams usually hire female swimmers, bolstering a part of Brazilian swimming that is relatively weak. This strategy usually works especially well given that significant bonus points are given for being faster than Brazilian or South American Records – regardless of whether or not a swimmer is eligible for those records.
For a swimmer like Heemskerk, for example, that means going better than a 1:56.43 in the 200 free. Last year, at the Berlin World Cup stop, Heemskerk swam a lifetime best of 1:52.2 in the 200 free, which means she has a significant cushion on the record.
Heemskerk will be the top seed in both the 100 and 200 freestyles, and will also swim the 50 free and the 200 IM (in addition to Minas’ relays). Nijhuis will be the top seed in the 200 breaststroke by six seconds, the 100 breaststroke by three seconds, and the 50 breaststroke by two seconds. She will also see if she can pick up a few points in the 200 IM, which is an off event for her.
At last week’s European Championships, Heemskerk won individual silver in the 100 free and individual bronze in the 200 free, along with two relay medals.
Heemskerk was supposed to race at Maria Lenk, Brazil’s long course championship, earlier this year, but returned home before the meet began after taking ill.
Other foreign athletes on the start lists:
- Unisanta: Julia Sebastian (South American champion), Andrea Berrino
- Botafogo: Federico Grabich
- Fluminese: Esteban Enderica, Samantha Arevelos
I don’t see why Santana needs to swim the 50 free. He’s more of a 100 freestyler and he’s ranked much higher internationally (6th) in the 100 than the 50.
Santana swims 50 for the same reason he swims 200: improve his 100.
Santana dont have a good start and breakout.
It will be nice to see Santana X Cielo fight in 100free and Cielo x Fratus in 50free.I dont know how many times Cielo will be beating Santana, but something tell me it will not be for much longer.