Brazil to Send 12 Swimmers, Two Relays to Short-Course Worlds

Photo Courtesy: Mike Lewis/ISL

Brazil to Send 12 Swimmers, Two Relays to Short-Course Worlds

Brazil will sent 12 swimmers to represent the country at the 2022 FINA World Swimming Championships (25M) in Melbourne, Australia, in December, the Brazilian swimming federation released last week.

The team will be coached by Felipe Domingues. Selection was based on performance in last month’s Jose Finkel Trophy meet.

Among the headliners is 42-year-old Nicholas Santos, who will vie for his fourth gold medal in the men’s 50 butterfly. The world record holder won the event in 2012, 2018 and 2021 in addition to silver in 2014. He won his first Short-Course Worlds medal way back in 2004 in the 50 freestyle.

Joao Gomes Junior is also going to Melbourne in search of more medals, having won bronze in the men’s 50 breaststroke in 2021.

Several of the stars from the Jose Finkel Trophy will be absent, though. That includes Fernando Scheffer, who set a Brazilian and South American record in the men’s 200 free (1:41.32), and double national/continental record setter Guilherme Costa, who went 7:41.23 in the 800 free and 14:39.42 in the 1,500.

On the women’s side, Maria Heitmann set a national record in the 400 free at 4:03.45, and Jhennifer Conciecao lowered her mark in the 50 breast, but neither will go to Worlds. Costa, Heitmann and Conciecao are all instead swimming at the South American Games in Asuncion, Paraguay this week.

Several swimmers are doing both, among them Caio Pumputis, Leonardo Santos, Breno Correia and Gabriel Santos as well as all four Brazilian women, who comprise a qualified 800 free relay.

At the 2021 Short-Course World Championships, the Brazilians won three medals via Santos, Gomes Junior and a bronze in the men’s 800 free relay with the squad of Scheffer, Murilo Sartori, Kaique Alves and Correia. It doesn’t appear that Brazil has qualified to defend that medal. Brazil had won gold in a world-record time at the 2018 Worlds in Hangzhou, China (via Luiz Altamir Melo, Scheffer, Leonardo Santos and Correia).

The 400 free relay squad qualified fifth from prelims last year before being disqualified in the final. Gabriel Santos, Scheffer, Alves and Correia comprised the finals foursome. Brazil had won bronze in the event in 2016, with Correia the lone remaining holdover.

Brazil won two medals at the 2022 Long-Course World Championships, with Nicholas Santos taking silver in the 50 fly and Costa bronze in the 400 free.

Brazil at the 2022 World Championships

Caio Pumputis – 200m individual medley
Leonardo Santos – 200m individual medley
Joao Gomes Jr – 50m breaststroke
Nicholas Santos – 50m butterfly
Aline Rodrigues – 4x200m freestyle
Gabrielle Roncatto – 4x200m freestyle
Giovanna Diamante – 4x200m freestyle
Stephanie Balduccini – 4x200m freestyle
Breno Correia – 4x100m freestyle
Gabriel Santos – 4x100m freestyle
Lucas Peixoto – 4x100m freestyle
Pedro Spajari – 4x100m freestyle

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use