Brazil’s long course national championships – known as the Maria Lenk Trophy – kicked off this morning in Rio de Janeiro, with rising star Etiene Medeiros headlining.
Medeiros, 23, took the top seed in the women’s 100 back, coming within seven tenths of the South American record with a 1:00.76. Medeiros broke the continental 50 back record back in December, and should have a shot to take down the 100 mark in tonight’s final.
In the men’s 100 back, Vito Guaraldo is the top qualifier, posting a 55.00, but he’ll be chased hard by veteran Thiago Pereira, who was 55.03. Guilherme Augusto (55.27) is also within striking distance.
Further back in that race, 1997-born Guilherme Dias Masse made the qualifying time for Junior Worlds, dropping his personal best from a 57.21 to a 55.87.
The Junior World Championships are limited to boys age 15-18 and girls age 14-17, with each swimmer’s age calculated as of the end of this year (December 31, 2015). Essentially, that means the meet is open to boys born from 1997-2000 and girls born from 1998-2001.
Two junior girls made the Junior Worlds cut in the 200 free, the biggest event for Brazil in national qualifying in the early goings. Maria Paula Heitmann (born in 1999) was 2:02.37, cutting 1.6 seconds off her best and qualifying 4th while making the cut. Meanwhile Rafaela Raurich (born in 2000) was just a tick off her personal best, but still went 2:03.10 for the 10th spot and a Junior Worlds cut.
Larissa Oliveira leads that event at 2:01.21, with Jessica de Bruin just .02 back of her.
Meanwhile Nicolas Oliveira is the top qualifier in the men’s 200 free, going 1:47.93. He’ll lead in a field that includes Joao de Lucca (1:48.62 and 2nd) and three other men under 1:50.
Qualifying 6th was Felipe Ribeiro de Souza (born in 1998), who barely snuck under the Junior Worlds cut. His 1:50.24 was a single hundredth under the cut and was a drop of one second from his best.
Tonight’s final will feature the 200 free and 100 back, plus the women’s 1500 free and both 4×50 free relays.
Very weak championship. They can get good results in 25m, but never in 50m ( long course) Brazil has only one swimmer, Cielo. This is fact. Pereira is already too old to fight for medals. Maybe Santana can be competitive in 100 free, but it is too early to say that.There are good chances that Brazil will not get a simple medal next year in his own soil… . By the way, australian trials are not as strong as I believed, with exception of Horton and his 400 free. I hope sincerely that the ausssies can improve, because if not, China will dominate so easily that swimming could be transformed in a boring sport.
We’ll see. Will Sun Yang make an appearance?
Amazing
14 year Old Rafaela Raurich went 2:01:44!! She is from the end of October only!!
Rafael,
they(swimswam writers) already know about it, but the hour of Maria Lenk is a normal job hour for most of themin US. They cannot write a fast report because of that.
Bad structure today.. A lot of wind.. lack of illumination.. why not use indoor pools?
Let´s face, the wind made a mess of the 4x50free start.If it was windy when Cielo jumped and he made 21.36… yikes!
I remember it was always windy and rain and cold every year during Maria Lenk, so why not move the meet to an indoor pool?
Talk that for our politicians…
Well, I think the best result of the day was Rafaela Raurich 200free 2:01.44(she would be 12th in US 13-14 rankings). Ok, two girls under 1:59 for the first time, but it was expected.
Let down of the day:DeLucca 1:48.His transition yards to LCM is far from being consistent.He made 1:47.9 untapered.
Windy pool but.. good times
Manuela and Larissa both under the old SA record (1:58:53 and 1:58:74)