Brazilian Olympian Thiago Pereira Retires

Jul 18, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Thiago Pereira of Brazil competes in the men's swimming 200m individual medley during the 2015 Pan Am Games at Pan Am Aquatics UTS Centre and Field House. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

Photo Courtesy: Erich Schlegel/USA Today Sports Images

Thiago Pereira, a four-time Olympian for Brazil and the silver medalist in the 400 IM in London in 2012, has decided that he’s done swimming competitively. According to a report from the Brazilian outlet, Fouha de Sao Paolo, Pereira was to make his announcement at the country’s Olympic awards ceremony.

Pereira made his first Olympic team when he was 18 years old in 2004 (Athens )and then went on to compete in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 and Rio in 2016. He made four straight Olympic finals in the 200 IM, finishing as high as fourth in both 2008 and 2012, and he also won a surprising silver medal in the 400 IM in 2012, finishing behind Ryan Lochte and ahead of Kosuke Hagino and Michael Phelps.

Pereira competed before chants of “THI-A-GO” during the 200 IM final in Rio as fans serenaded their home favorite in hopes of winning a Brazilian medal. Pereira was in second place with a 50 to go, but he faded all the way to seventh.

During his career, Pereira won two World Championship medals in long course and was the Short Course World Champion in the 200 IM in 2004. He also won an incredible 23 medals at the Pan American Games, 15 of them gold.

Pereira was not renewed by his Minas club after the Olympics and only competed in one short course meet in Brazil after August.

Read more from Fouha de Sao Paolo (in Portuguese) by clicking here.

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