Maria Fernanda Costa Becomes First Brazilian Olympic Finalist in Women’s 400 Free Since 1948

2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

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Maria Fernanda Costa may have missed her own national record in Paris on Saturday night, but the 21-year-old still made history by becoming the first Brazilian woman in 76 years to make the Olympic final in the 400-meter freestyle.

Costa placed 7th in 4:03.53 after qualifying 7th this morning in 4:03.47. She owns the Brazilian record in the 400 free at 4:02.86 from February’s World Championships, where she placed 4th.

The last Brazilian woman to final in the 400 free was Piedade Coutinho, who placed 6th (5:29.4) at the 1948 Olympics in London.

Costa, who is making her Olympic debut in Paris, will have a quick turnaround with her only other individual event — the women’s 200 free — scheduled for Sunday with the final on Monday.

In other South American action from Saturday, 25-year-old Guilherme Costa placed 5th in the men’s 400 free (3:42.76), just .26 seconds off the podium. He was visibly distraught after the race despite breaking Larsen Jensen‘s Americas record of 3:42.78 set at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Costa also lowered his own South American record of 3:43.31 from the 2022 World Championships. Tonight he was beat by Germany’s Lukas Maertens (3:41.78), Elijah Winnington (3:42.21), South Korea’s Kim Woomin (3:42.50), and Australia’s Sam Short (3:42.64).

The Brazil women’s 4×100 free relay placed 12th (3:40.60) while the men placed 10th (3:14.22) in prelims this morning.

Ana Carolina Vieira led off the Brazilian women’s relay in 54.81, well off her personal-best 53.22. Rising Michigan sophomore Stephanie Balduccini had the fastest swinging split on the squad at 53.83, faster than her best flat-start time of 54.05 from February’s World Championships.

Rising Tennessee junior Gui Caribe led off the Brazilian men’s relay in 48.57, not far off his personal-best 47.82 from 2022. Marcelo Chierighini boasted the quickest split at 48.21.