Fratus Starts 2021 Season With 22.10 / 50.12 Freestyle Swims

2021 Florida Southern Zone Sectional Championships – Site 2

• February 11 – 14, 2021
• Coral Springs, Florida
• Long Course Meters (LCM)
• Results

Bruno Fratus had his first meet of the year at the 2021 Florida Southern Zone Sectional Championships – Site 2 over the weekend. The World Championships silver medalist raced the 50 and 100 freestyles in Coral Springs, posting the fastest times at the meet in both events.

This makes him the first Brazilian swimmer to race in 2021.

In the 50 freestyle, Fratus hit a 22.60 in the prelims and was the only swimmer to crack the 23-second mark in the heats. In the final, however, Alberto Mestre gave him a run for his money with a 22.66. Fratus was able to get his hand on the wall ahead of Mestre with a 22.10.

While it wasn’t a best time for Fratus, he did get within a second of his 21.27 PB from the 2017 World Championships where he won a silver medal. There, he joined Caeleb Dressel (gold, 21.15) and Ben Proud (bronze, 21.43) on the podium. Two years later at 2019 Worlds, Fratus tied with Kristian Gkolomeev for silver with a 21.45 behind Dressel’s winning 21.04.

According to FINA’s World Rankings, the 22.10 for Fratus ties him with Leonardo Deplano for the 15th fastest time worldwide this season.

Fratus also swam the 100 freestyle in Coral Springs and his a 50.12 in the prelims ahead of Alberto Mestre‘s second-ranked 50.45. Fratus didn’t race in the finals, however, leaving Mestre to take the victory with a 50.64. Daniel Ramirez and Joaquin Vargas followed with a 50.91 and 51.25 for silver and bronze, respectively.

Fratus’s 50.12 was 1.62 seconds off his personal best time of 48.50 which he swam back in 2017 at the Maria Lenk Trophy in Brazil.