2021 South American Swimming Championships
- March 16-19, 2021
- CeNARD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Long Course Meters (50m) Pool
- Live Results/Psych Sheets
A year delayed, the 45th edition of the South American Swimming Championships will begin on Tuesday in Buenos Aires.
With Brazil closing its upcoming national championship meet to foreigners, lots of South American nations have lost access to their primary Olympic qualifying event, giving this year’s championships an even bigger focus for many countries.
Aside from Brazil, many countries will send their top squads to the meet. Central American nations like Mexico will also be included in this year’s meet.
Among the top names coming into the meet is the defending 400 IM champion Tomas Peribonio of Ecuador. The 25-year old Peribonio won the 2018 South American Championship in the 400 IM in 4:22.79 and took bronze in the 200 IM in 2:02.64.
Along with 35-year old Paraguayan Benjamin Hockin, the defending champion in the 50 fly, Peribonio is the rare returning champion on the men’s side.
The women’s field will be much more familiar, including Argentinian distance freestyler Delfina Pignatiello.
The South American Record holder in the 800 and 1500 freestyles, Pignatiello won 2018 titles in the 200, 400, and 800 freestyles.
Pignatiello will get another battle in the 1500 free from the defending champion and Meet Record holder Kristel Kobrich, the 36-year old veteran from Chile. Kobrich is the 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 South American Champion in the event.
While Brazil dominates this meet on the men’s side, Argentina were the front-runners in 2018 on the women’s side, coming home with 11 gold medals. Besides Pignatiello, the triple backstroke medalist from 2018 Andrea Berrino returns to the meet, as do breaststroke champions Julia Sebastian and Macarena Ceballos.
While Brazil’s Jhennifer Conceicao, the defending 50 breaststroke champion, isn’t racing at this year’s meet, her young countrymate, 20-year old Bruna Monteiro, enters the meet as the top seed in the shortest breaststroke race.
Another defending champions among a strong Argentinian women’s team is Virginia Bardach in the 200 fly and 400 IM.
Racing is scheduled to take place across 4 days before giving way to other disciplines in the unique multi-discipline South American Championships in 2021.
