The presence of a strong Brazilian sprinting contingent ready to rock the Arena Pro Swim Series in Charlotte this weekend made the list of our “5 Storylines to Watch” for the meet, which starts at Mecklenburg Aquatic Center Thursday.
Olympic gold medalist Cesar Cielo, who is scheduled to compete in the 50m/100m freestyle, 50m/100m butterfly and the 4x100m freestyle events, gave some insight into what he hopes to accomplish both individually and as a squad this weekend, making it known this week that he is in it to win it. At the last month’s Maria Lenk Trophy, Cielo finished a uncharacteristic 5th in teh men’s 50m free and 7th in the 100m free, where Cielo saw himself as “not being 100%” at that meet. Referring to this week, Cielo says, “I will try to swim my individual events as well as possible. I expect to swim well”, the 28-year old told Brazliain news source “Contrapedejornalismo.”
Cielo points to the Charlotte meet as an extremely valuable training opportunity for his country’s 4x100m freestyle relay squad. “It will be nice to swim together; this [race] will be important for the exchanges.” He compares to how, at his home club of Minas, he swims with athletes with whom he “knows the stroke and speed of each” and wants the elite squad with whom Cielo will most likely competing with in Rio “to have this comfort, this natural environment, to know how to do it at the right time.”
Just on whom will Cielo be taking notes? Joao De Lucca, Marcelo Chierighini and Matheus Santana, are the teammates with whom Cielo will be teaming up to take on the rest of the field. A relay field which, says Cielo, is filled with “weak teams.” His view is that this “type of American Grand Prix has weak relays because clubs do not put the main swimmers in teams.” Meaning, of course, that with athletes such as Michael Phelps, Conor Dwyer and Nathan Adrian representing different club teams on the Arena Pro Swim circuit, they are unable to compete on the same relay squad as they otheriwse would representing the USA at international meets.
As such, the Brazilian foursome will use the meet as a means to familiarize each other with their specific swimming styles, timing, in order to “have more harmony in the relationships” that they will then be able to transfer to what Cielo refers to as “the big leagues.” Cielo’s coach, Arilson Soares da Silva, looks forward to seeing how competitive of a presence the Brazilian 4x100m free squad has. The performance will be a good indication of their “competitiveness in both the Kazan Worlds and Rio Games. We want to maintain the competitive level and carry it into the Kazan Worlds.”
With none of the Brazilians competing on Thursday, Silva says the group will train and spend time together to ensure a “single line of thought regarding this [relay] test” and to do some preparation work. Silva even indicated that some racing is actually prep work as well. Silva says that Cielo’s swimming the 100m fly is simply in preparation for that relay, with each taking place on Friday. Says Silva, “It’s just to ‘feel’ the pool and get his competitive rhythm to swim the relay” that Cielo will then swim later that day.
Just one more reason to be excited for this meet.
It’s too bad Cielo doesn’t try to improve his 100 fly, because if he did Brazil could have a better medley relay, but I suppose sometimes if you try to do too many things you don’t do all of them well.
With Arthur, if he can split a 51 low-mid there is no need for Cielo (Pereira also can do that), the real problem is the back.
And cielo was not 5th and 7th, Cielo was 2nd in both races at Maria Lenk (Fratus won the 50 and Santana the 100)
Rafael, I thought people considered the fly a weakness for Brazil, sorry. Why doesn’t Pereira focus on improving his 100 back? He seems to do fine on the back leg of his 200 IM!
Cielo went some 51-mid legs, same for pereira.. after Mangabeira Brazil did not have a guy who was good enough to final on Worlds OG, but we have swimmers who can reach Semifinals.. (But they still swim 52 low, which is what mangabeira went more than a decade ago)
Arthur can probably do that, and some new guys who may be swimming 52 next year.. 51 not so sure..
Back is worse..no one even swimming 53…