Latin America Report: Pereira Bronze Highlights Busy Night for Brazil

Thiago Pereira used a great opening 100, hung on during the breaststroke, and grinded out a tough freestyle leg to touch in 1:56.30 to secure a bronze in the men’s 200 IM. Although Pereira was caught over the final 50 by Japanese youngster Kosuke Hagino, being on the podium in the 200 IM is a major stepping stone for Pereira, who, despite being a contender year for the last seven years, has never medalled in this event at this level. Check out his year-by-year finishes at major competitions:

In all of those instances but one, Pereira finishes behind Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, and Laszlo Cseh. The exception was 2009, when Phelps elected to skip the 200 IM, and a suited Eric Shanteau also jumped in front of Pereira. With Phelps out of the picture and a quickly-aging Cseh, Pereira has a small window to win some hardware over the next couple of years before the new wave of IMers maximize their potential (including Hagino).

A few more notes from day 5…

• The Brazilian team had two other finalists narrowly miss the podium. Etienne Medeiros finished fourth in the women’s 50 back, behind the Chinese duo of Zhao Jing and Fu Yuanhui, as well as 100 back medalist Aya Terakawa of Japan. Auburn Tiger Marcelo Chierighini of Brazil finished sixth in the men’s 100 freestyle, touching in 48.28.
• After seeing just one record fall on day four of the meet (Andreina Pinto of Venezuela lowering her own national record twice), we saw three national records from Latin American countries:
  • Liliana Ibañez Lopez, who swims collegiately at Texas A&M, knocked 0.01 off her lifetime best time from London last summer to lower her own Mexican record, touching in 55.70.
  • Ibañez Lopez was joined by Maria Gonzalez Ramirez, Rita Medrano Muñoz, and Charetzeni Escobar Torres for a record-setting women’s 4×200 freestyle relay. Their 8:11.56 crushed the previous record of 8:16.03 from the 2011 World Championships
  • Carlos Claverie lowered the Venezuelan men’s 200 breaststroke record, touching in 2:15.76
• 200 fly finalist Leonardo De Deus of Brazil got through prelims of the men’s 200 backstroke, but failed to make it out of semifinals, finishing in 12th at 1:57.92.
• NCAA and U.S. Open record holder Ariana Vanderpool-Wallace of the Bahamas carried plenty of early speed on the front half of her 100 freestyle semifinal, but didn’t have enough in the tank to qualify for tomorrow’s final. The former Auburn Tiger was consistent in her two swims (54.42 in her morning and 54.44 at night), but just didn’t have the backend speed from her best performance from London last summer (53.73 in prelims).