Today kicked off the 4th edition of the South American Swimming Championships, which is an all-aquatics multi-sport event that is held every other year, including pre-Olympiads. This year’s event is being held in Belem, Brazil.
The stars of any such South American Championship meet is often the home-team Brazilians. They are completely unrested for the meet, without much time to go before they begin tapers for their big spring championship meet the Maria Lenk Trophy. Many other nations, however, are using this championship as their country’s de facto Olympic Trials, and that coupled with a rise continent- wide from American-trained athletes could lead to a few upsets at this year’s edition of the meet.
Brazil’s star Cesar Cielo got off to a great start in this meet with a world-leading 23.26 in the 50 fly. Under the conditions, that’s a startling time – not only is he still training huge yardages, lifting big weights, and unshaved for this meet, but it was being swum outdoors in heavy rain. Though the 50 fly is not an Olympic event, that race is quite often a very strong indicator of what Cielo’s 50 freestyle times look like (as was evidenced by his 50 fly/free World Championship double in 2011). Coming into this meet, perhaps 22.2 might have been a good target for his 50, but now be looking for a 21.
His teammate Glauber Silva placed 2nd in 23.64, which ties for the 3rd-best time in the world this year. Venezuela’s Albert Subirates was 3rd in 23.78.
Among other big winners on the first day of competition was Venezuela’s Andreina Pinto, who trains in the United States at the Gator Swim Club, in the women’s 400 free. She touched in 4:10.24, which ranks the 20-year old among the top-25 in the world this year.
The men’s 200 backstroke featured a big showdown between another Gator, Colombia’s Omar Pinzon, and one of Brazil’s best Thiago Pereira. Pinzon pulled off a bit of an upset in 1:59.67 for the win, ahead of Pereira’s 2:00.35. Pereira has so far looked fit, however, in his return to Brazil and training with the Pro16 group, which does a huge amount of yardage – which seems to suit Pereira’s event schedule.
Brazil’s Felipe Franca de Silva, the defending World Champion in the 50 breast, won the 100 meter version on Wednesday in 1:00.76 to easily outpace his opponents. That includes runner-up Joao Gomes in 1:02.11. Franca de Silva (not to be confused with fellow breaststroker Felipe Lima) is really rounding into form thanks to a much-improved diet. He’s going to be a force in the 100 breast in London, and at the least gives Brazil an outstanding medley relay.
Ben Hockin, who was ominously absent from the British Trials last week (he’s a former Brit who defected to Paraguay after breaking National Records at the 2008 Olympics) won the 200 free in 1:48.57. That’s a top-25 time in the world this year. That put him just a hair ahead of Venezuela’s Cristian Quintero, who touched 2nd in 1:48.65 with a strong back-half. That’s easily a best time for the USC freshman, and is an encouraging effort ahead of next weekend’s NCAA Championships. That time is just a few-tenths behind the best marks of Quintero’s biggest 200 competitors in Federal Way: Dax Hill and Dimitri Colupaev, who both were 1:48.3’s last year.
Brazil’s Joanna Maranhao had a gutsy double, taking 3rd in the 400 free in 4:13.54 and following that with a win in the 200 IM in 2:16.76, all done on an injured elbow.
In total, there was a championship record broken in every race on the first day of the meet, including each of the winners listed above.
Cielo time is impressive for an unrested guy, and for a guy is not training fly this year.
But França swim was outstanding!It was raining really hard at the event time and what a come home swimming!31.76!