Brazilian Youth Record Holder Gustavo Saldo Pledges 2021 Verbal to Louisville Cardinals

Photo Courtesy: University of Louisville Athletics

NEW COMMIT: The University of Louisville has added a new addition to their growing class of 2025 after receiving a verbal commitment from Gustavo Saldo of Curitiba, Brazil.

He will join fellow countrymate Murilo Sartori, as well as Tommy Bried, Ryan Hogan, Eli Shoyat, Lance Godard, Wylie Kruse, John Bossler, Owen Taylor and Luke Shourds in The Ville at the start of the 2021-22 season.

Regarding his commitment, he said:

“I’m extremely excited to announce my verbal commitment to the University of Louisville. It was always my dream to study in a university where I could became my best version as a student and an athlete, and today I’m so proud to say that the dream came true. I wanted to thank my parents and my coaches for being by my side all the time and always supporting me. GO CARDS!!!!!!”

Saldo owns numerous Brazilian youth age group records in freestyle and butterfly events and has represented the Brazilian Swimming Federation internationally. At the 7th FINA World Junior Championships last summer, he finished 11th in the 200m fly and competed in the 4x100m and 4x200m free relay; the latter relay finished fourth. His future classmate Sartori also swam on the 4x200m free relay with him in Budapest.

In LCM, his best times include:

100m fly – 53.81
200m fly – 1:59.45
100m free – 51.98
200m free – 1:50.13
400m free – 3:56.06
800m free – 8:10.09
1500m free – 15:43.29

In SCY, those times convert to:

100 fly – 47.39
200 fly – 1:45.63
100 free – 45.79
200 free – 1:36.16
400 free – 4:23.92
800 free – 9:20.89
1500 free – 15:19.78

When he suits up for Louisville in the fall of 2021, Saldo will help fill in the butterfly gap after the graduation of Nick Albiero. His best times (converted to yards) would’ve ranked third on the Cardinals’ lineup last year in the 200 fly and fifth in the 100 fly.

Under head coach Arthur Albiero, UofL placed third overall at ACCs this past season. Louisville finished a program-high fifth place at NCAAs in 2019, surpassing their previous top finish of ninth in both 2012 and 2018. The Cardinals qualified 10 swimmers for the 2020 NCAA Championships.

If you have a commitment to share, please send a photo and quote via email to hs@swimmingworld.com.

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