In the slew of post-Olympic retirements, ‘breaks’ and confirmations of continued competition, count Brazil’s Thiago Pereira in the third category.
The four-time Brazilian Olympian posted on Instagram, saying that he plans to compete another four years, aiming for a fifth Olympic berth at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
And Globo.com quotes Pereira as thanking the fans and the hometown crowd for a Rio experience that he terms “a 10.”
A rough translation of the Portuguese: “Giving the message firsthand to all: ‘Bora’ for 2020 because I really can’t do without it.”
Pereira is one of the most-decorated athletes in Brazilian history in terms of total medals, with 44 major international medals between Olympic Games, World Championships and Continental/Regional meets like Pan Ams, Pan Pacs and the South American Games.
His Olympic highlight was a silver medal in the 400 IM in 2012. In 2016, his top finish was in the 200 IM, where he took 7th overall.
Pereira will be 34 by the time Tokyo rolls around. He began his international swimming career at 16, swimming at the South American Games back in 2002. Pereira has been a part of the Brazilian Olympic delegation in 2004 (Athens), 2008 (Beijing), 2012 (London) and 2012 (Rio).
Pereira is already the most-decorated swimmer in Pan American Games history, and if he swims through the next Olympics, he could add to that total at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.
Anybody else agree that Scotland is up next in basketball. No pun intended.
I wish him the best. Hard to imagine him (or Lochte) competing effectively in their specialty events at age of 38, tho. But the rules about age in the sport continue to shift. so who knows?
Easy to comment on things after the result, but Thiago and lochte got caught up in trying to beat Phelps, which was never happening.
If Thiago had swum his own race, and didn’t go for the home win, he wouldn’t come back 30.8 which is horrendous and he would of beaten Wang Shun for bronze.
Also baffling he didn’t at least attempt the 400im, again if he swam his own race he might of beat seto who was done in the final.
What event is a 34 year old going to swim ? I can’t see anything bar 200im and that’s a big ask at 34.
I agree that Pereira and Lochte both got caught up in trying to beat Phelps, or at least they went out too fast. In answer to your question, Pereira will probably keep swimming the same events (i.e. no 4IM), he can still medal in national and less prominent international meets, and maybe in scm cup circut; likely not in Olympics/LCM World Champs but as long as he’s having fun and those two biggest meets aren’t his only focus/goal, then why not continue? I assume he’s professional and he’s still a huge deal in Brazil so I know Brazilian and other S. American fans will be thrilled.
As for Lochte, I noticed that Phelps swam his semi-final faster than he… Read more »
Has Pereira been training at Trojan, or am I misremembering?
He and Lochte could make a pretty good training duo.
Pereira actually used to train with Lochte lol.