SAO PAULO, Brazil, December 18. DURING morning finals today at the Brazil Long Course Championships, Cesar Cielo beat the world record in the men's 50 free.
After clocking a 21.02 during prelims last night to put Fred Bousquet's global standard of 20.94 from April on notice, Cielo clipped the record with a blazing fast time of 20.91. Cielo's best time heading into this meet had been a South American record of 21.08 clocked at the World Championships this summer.
Cielo returned in the men's 400 free relay with a leadoff time of 47.29 as Cielo, Andre Daudt, Fernando Da Silva and Gabriel Mangabeira won the race with a meet-record time of 3:16.30.
In the women's 50 free, Flavia Delaroli-Cazziolato claimed the Brazilian record with a 24.98 during prelims. That swim edged Daynara De Paula's national mark of 24.99 set in September. She wound up winning the title in the finale with a 25.00, while De Paula took second in 25.27.
De Paula returned in the women's 100 fly with a meet record time of 59.07 during prelims. De Paula snatched the women's 100 fly crown with an even faster time of 58.96.
During prelims of the men's 50 breast, Felipe Silva clocked a swift time of 26.81 to break the meet record. That effort finished just behind his South American mark of 26.76 and the world record of 26.67 set by Cameron van der Burgh – both at the World Championships this year. Silva returned in the morning to win the finale in 27.05.
Joanna Maranhao downed the Brazilian record in the women's 800 free with an 8:32.96. Poliana Okimoto held the previous mark with an 8:40.05 set in September.
Tatiane Sakemi qualified first in the women's 50 breast with a meet record of 31.55. Alessandra Marchioro, however, claimed the title in the morning with a 31.08, while Sakemi finished second in 31.60.
Fernanda Alvarenga turned in a meet-record time of 2:13.76 in the women's 200 back prelims. She followed in finals with an even faster time of 2:12.47, just off her South American record of 2:12.32.
In the men's 200 back prelims, Andre Schultz lowered the meet record with a 2:00.97. Leonardo De Deus topped that effort in finals with a 1:59.74, while Schultz settled for second in 2:00.56.
Meanwhile, Mangabeira touched in 52.04 for the meet record in the men's 100 fly prelims. Kaio Almeida won the finale, however, with a top time of 52.10. Thiago Pereira placed second in 52.35, while Mangabeira wound up third in 52.48.
Michelle Lenhardt, Delaroli-Cazziolato, Carolina Moncorvo and Sakemi won the women's 400 free relay in 3:46.97. Tatiana Barbosa, however, was the star of the race as she checked in with a 54.72 relay leadoff for the second-place team. That swim broke her Brazilian record of 55.01 set at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.