Jose Finkel Trophy: Thiago Pereira Rockets to South American Record in 200 IM

SAO PAULO, Brazil, August 24. SOUTH American records kept on tumbling at the Jose Finkel Trophy meet, that is being contested in short course meters this week in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Thiago Pereira charted a South American record in the men's 200 IM with a sterling time of 1:52.30. That performance cut half-a-second off his previous record of 1:52.72 set in Rio in 2010, and vaulted him to sixth all time in the event's history. Only Ryan Lochte (1:50.08), Darian Townsend (1:51.55), Markus Rogan (1:51.72), Michael Phelps (1:51.89) and Vytautas Janusaitis (1:52.22) have been faster. Henrique Rodrigues checked in with a second-place 1:54.82, while Andre Schultz earned third in 1:55.96.

Femke Heemskerk cleared the meet record in the women's 200 IM with a 2:10.31 to capture the title. That swim bested the previous top time of 2:11.10 clocked by Evelyn Verraszto in 2010, and a bit back of her lifetime best of 2:09.78 from 2009. Joanna Maranhao placed second in 2:11.82, while Manuella Lyrio picked up third in 2:16.45.

Marieke Guehrer snatched the women's 100 free title in 52.76, a meet record, while Larissa Oliveira and Graciele Hermann posted matching 54.46s to share second-place in the event. Guehrer nearly cleared her personal best of 52.61 in the process.

Cesar Cielo came up just short of his South American record in the men's 100 free with a winning time of 45.91. His top effort is a 45.74 from the 2010 World Championships in Dubai. Nicholas Dos Santos clinched second in 47.32, while Nicolas Oliveira placed third in 47.36.

Ana Carvalho edged Julia Sebastien for the women's 50 breast crown, 31.41 to 31.61, while Juliana Marin and Beatriz Travalon round out the podium with matching times of 31.71 for a third-place tie. Felipe Silva clocked a 26.52 to claim the men's 50 breast crown, while Joao Gomes Jr. (26.78) and Felipe Lima (26.89) picked up second and third.

Inge Dekker, Manuella Lyrio, Lorrane Ferreira and Femke Heemskerk won the women's 400 free relay in a meet-record time of 3:37.61, while Joao De Lucca, Nicholas Dos Santos, Thiago Sickert and Cesar Cielo posted a meet-record of their own with a 3:10.52 to win the men's 400 free relay.

In semifinal action, Nicholas Dos Santos clipped Cesar Cielo in the men's 50 fly, 23.07 to 23.29. Kaio Almeida earned the third seed in 23.37. Meanwhile, Daynara De Paula posted a 25.96 to lead the women's 50 fly semis, while Marieke Guehrer (26.44) and Inge Dekker (26.57) qualified second and third.

Kelly Stubbins paced the women's 100 back with a time of 1:00.15, while Fabiola Molina (1:00.38) and Etiene Medeiros (1:01.13) qualified second and third. Guilherme Guido then turned in a 51.54 to lead the men's 100 back semis. Fabio Santi (52.51) and Daniel Orzechowski (52.67) will bracket him in the finale.

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