Olympic Medalist Fernando Scheffer Takes 200 Free At Brazilian Championships

2023 ABSOLUTE BRAZILIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

We entered day four of the 2023 Brazilian Swimming Championships this evening, which means just one more day of competition remains.

During this penultimate finals session, Maria Costa qualified for her second individual event for this summer’s World Championships. Costa stopped the clock at 1:57.76 to top the women’s 200m free podium, dipping under the World Aquatics ‘A’ cut of 1:58.66 in the process.

Costa was the only racer to make the grade, as runner-up Stephanie Balduccini touched in 1:59.05 while Nathalia Almeida bagged bronze in 1:59.84. Gabrielle Roncatto posted 2:00.33 as the 4th-place finisher.

The women above did collectively clock a time good enough to qualify for the World Championships as a 4x200m freestyle relay squad, however.

The men’s 200m free saw Olympic medalist Fernando Scheffer score the victory at 1:46.28. He was the sole competitor to get under the 1:47.06 ‘A’ cut threshold, with runner-up Maurilo Sartori falling just .01 shy in a silver medal-worthy result of 1:47.06.

Luiz Melo rounded out the top 3 in 1:47.59 while Guilherme Da Costa clinched 4th place in 1:48.18.

As for 25-year-old Scheffer, he said of his performance, “I had not competed for a long time and we had a very long preparation for this competition, which I didn’t start very well. Today, the strategy was to put on the best swimming possible.”

Scheffer claimed bronze in the 2free in Tokyo, producing a final time there of 1:44.66, a South American Record. He missed the final at last year’s World Championships, however, settling for 9th place in Budapest with a time of 1:46.11.

The men’s 400m IM saw Stephan Steverink steal the spotlight from Pan American Games medalist Brandonn Almeida in tonight’s battle.

Steverink stopped the clock in a mark of 4:17.26 to qualify for Fukuoka, while Almeida came up short with a time of 4:19.56. The former owns a lifetime best of 4:16.44 in this event, an outing from last year that rendered him Brazil’s 3rd fastest performer in history.

Almeida’s PB rests at the 4:12.49 he logged back in 2016.

Additional Winners

  • Gui Caribe followed up on his 100m free victory from last night with a win in the 50m fly. He checked in with gold in a mark of 23.67, just .01 ahead of Guilherme Rosolen‘s effort of 26.27. The men were hunting a CBDA-mandated QT of 22.79.
  • Celine Bispo cleared the field in the women’s edition of the 50m fly, touching in 26.26.
  • Jhennifer Conceicao hit a mark of 30.78 for the women’s 50m breast while 37-year-old Joao Gomes Junior got it done for the men in 26.75. The CBDA tine standards for Fukuoka rest at 29.91 and 26.66, respectively.
  • Gabrielle Roncatto posted a winning time of 4:44.40 in the women’s 400m IM.

In This Story

10
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

10 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
SWIMGUY12345
1 year ago

22.79 for the 50 fly cut? That’s absolutely absurd

Sam M
1 year ago

You have to get under the A cuts? I thought you had to just achieve that time.

Jimmyswim
Reply to  Sam M
1 year ago

A country can only enter two swimmers in the event if both have the A cut. If less than 2 swimmers have it, they can enter one swimmer who has at least the B cut.

Rafael
1 year ago

Pool was 29 degrees today. Terrible

Mr._Magoo
Reply to  Rafael
1 year ago

As far as I know the pool was 29 degrees also when the girls went some huge PB in the 400 free 😉

Rafael
Reply to  Mr._Magoo
1 year ago

First day was 27, but even 27 is kinda unnaceptable
Outside temp was 30 degrees with near 80% humidity

Costa took off his cap during the 1500 and the conditions only got worse from day 1

Philip Johnson
Reply to  Rafael
1 year ago

There’s something always going on.

Rafael
Reply to  Philip Johnson
1 year ago

If you think I am Making up stuff
https://twitter.com/cpguilhermeee/status/1664720319980924929?t=W-VRzFLnFSqDRbLVqwfKrA&s=19

Costa himself was showing the pool temp measurement yesterday

Rafael
Reply to  Rafael
1 year ago

Everyday was over 27

Jcsf
Reply to  Philip Johnson
1 year ago

Welcome to LatAm, mate

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.

Read More »