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Helena Lopes, a member of Brazil’s junior national team, has signed with the University of Georgia and will arrive in Athens in this fall. Lopes has also represented Brazil on the international stage—in 2021, she was a member of the Brazilian A team that competed at the South American Youth Championships. She currently swims for the Minas Tenis Clube, which is located in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
It is an honor to announce my commitment to the University of Georgia. Where I am going to focus on my school and swimming career. To get there it was challenging, but I had the support of many special people who I’m thankful every day. I want to give a special thanks for my parents and family who are always there for me, my friends, teammates for all the support given and encouragement and last but not least my coaches for never giving up on me. It is the beginning of a new chapter! Go Dawgs! 🐾❤️🐾
Best times: LCM (converted to SCY)
- 50 free: 26.13 (22.91)
- 100 free: 56.96 (50.91)
- 200 free: 2:06.98 (1:51.05)
- 100 fly: 1:04.11 (56.28)
Lopes most recently competed at the 2024 Brazilian Swimming Championships (LCM), the qualifying meet for the Olympics this summer. There, she set personal bests across her main 4 events, swimming a 26.13 in the 50 free, 56.96 in the 100 free, 2:06.98 in the 200 free, and 1:04.11 in the 100 fly.
Last season, the Georgia women finished 5th at the SEC Championships and 13th at the NCAA Championships. Despite scoring 116 points at NCAAs, none were scored in the 3 shortest sprint free events. Lopes will thus add depth to the Bulldogs’ sprint free group, as her converted times would have ranked 6th in the 50 free, 12th in the 100 free, and 12th in the 200 free on Georgia’s 2023-2024 roster — and by the time Lopes arrives on campus, 3 of Georgia’s top sprinters in Zoie Hartman, Sloane Reinstein, and Jillian Barcyzk will have graduated.
In order to score at this year’s SECs, it took 22.64, 49.33, and 1:47.18 across the 50/100/200 free and 53.16 in the 100 fly.
This fall, the Bulldogs will welcome Lopes, ASU transfer Ieva Maluka, and class of 2024 recruits Marie Landreneau, Elle Noecker, Simany Lee, Katie Belle Sikes, and Sami Rydzewski. Lopes will arrive on campus with an excellent training group, as Lee, Landreneau, and Sikes all specialize in the same trio of the 50/100/200 free.
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Brazilian connection!!!!
Welcome! GO DAWGS!