Looking At The Brazilian Men’s 4×100 Free Relay Medal Prospects

2023 ABSOLUTE BRAZILIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 2023 Absolute Brazilian Swimming Championships concluded last night with the Pinheiros Club taking home the overall trophy.

The nation’s roster for this summer’s World Championships was ultimately announced, with a total of 26 swimmers, 14 men and 12 women, headed to Fukuoka based on their performances over the course of the 5-day competition.

As we reported, the Brazilian Swimming Federation (CBDA) originally dictated relatively stiff standards when it came to relays.

Initially, the CBDA required certain add-up times from this week’s results to send relays to the World Championships. Specifically, they wanted the 5th-place time from last year’s World Championships plus a 1.2 second allowance for relay exchange.

Only the women’s 4x200m free relay wound up meeting the minimum time standard. However, the CBDA decided to ease up on these standards, allowing all relays to make the journey to Fukuoka.

Dissecting the relay medal prospects for the World Championships, let’s specifically take a look at the men’s 4x100m free relay.

At these nationals, the men’s 100m freestyle individual results rendered the following top 4 times:

The total of these performances renders a total relay time of 3:13.51; or a time of 3:13.23 if you insert Chierghini’s prelims result.

At the 2022 World Championships, it took a time of 3:10.95 to make the podium. That’s what Italy produced for bronze while the nation of Australia collectively clocked a mark of 3:10.80 for silver. The United States topped the men’s 4x100m free podium in a combined outing of 3:09.34.

There in Budapest, Brazil settled for 7th place in the final, with a total time of 3:12.21.

Victor Alcara is set to replace Vinicius Assuncao in the lineup, with Gui Caribe taking over for Santos. Marcelo Chierghini and Felipe Souza expected to repeat their 4x100m free relay appearance from Budapest. Budapest squad member Assuncao finished 8th in the individual 100m free here, clocking 48.97.

If we substitute the top 4 finishers’ lifetime best flat starts as follows, the collective time comes to 3:12.47, still well off the aforementioned 3:10.95 needed a year ago to claim bronze in Budapest.

Caribe’s 47.82 lifetime best came recently, with the Tennessee swimmer having logged the result last December while Chierghini’s PB was produced 4 years ago.

As for Alcara and Souza, the pair has never been under the 48-second threshold on a flat start, which means they’ll need to have the swims of their lives to get Brazil even into the realm of a medal-producing possibility.

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timtammachine
1 year ago

USA USA USA!

MIKE IN DALLAS
1 year ago

I certainly see many fine swimmers on the men’s size, but I can’t but their possible podium finishes at more than 10-20%, i.e., it probably isn’t going to happen. 5th or 6th, very possible. 1st – 3rd? Nope.

nuotofan
1 year ago

Just to say: in a relay the three rolling starts provide, each, an average gain of 6-7 tenths of a second, so this should be considered (0.6×3=1.8 seconds)

Reid
Reply to  nuotofan
1 year ago

Yeah weird to just add up flat start times. Not really “swim of their lives”, just decent rolling start on a best time.

Rafael
Reply to  Reid
1 year ago

Caribe 47 high, chiereghini 47 low, if the other drops a47 mid high would add around 3:10-3:11..

Admin
Reply to  Rafael
1 year ago

I think 3:10-high is their “we all had the best day of our lives together” time, and could get a medal. Still, I have a hard time seeing that all come together right at the right time.

Reid
Reply to  Braden Keith
1 year ago

Together, sure, it’s rare to have 4/4 swimmers at their best at the same time. But that doesn’t mean anyone has to have “the swim of their life”. They’re 1.5 seconds off that 3:10-3:11 threshold now with their current flat start bests. Solid relay starts off those times get them 1.5 seconds. Now Chierighini might not be at that level anymore, so the other guys would have to improve a bit, but it’s not crazy or unheard of for guys to have relay splits a full second faster than their best flat start, or to drop a few tenths at a major meet. Not saying it’s likely but it’s not outlandish

Brasileiro
Reply to  Rafael
1 year ago

Não viaja

GrameziPT
1 year ago

They need Cielo back for the 4x100Fr to have a shot.
Bruno would help too

Last edited 1 year ago by GrameziPT
Philipp
Reply to  GrameziPT
1 year ago

Wake up it’s 2023

Rafael
1 year ago

I see the 4×200 a bit stronger right now

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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