SAO PAULO, Brazil, April 23. ANOTHER blazing fast night at the Maria Lenk Trophy meet came to a close as Cesar Cielo and a host of other swimmers put up some sizzling swims in Sao Paulo.
Brazil continued to demonstrate just how fast its sprint group is becoming as Cielo rocketed to the top of the SwimVortex world rankings with a 21.93 and Bruno Fratus took second in the world with a 21.45 in the men’s 50-meter freestyle finale this evening. Nicholas Dos Santos ripped off a 22.32 for third, while Leonardo Palma Alcover earned fourth in 22.39.
Cielo’s time is just off his textile best of 21.32 from the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona last summer, and he should challenge that time again heading into the Pan Pacific Championships this summer.
After racing to third in the world rankings with a 4:34.91 this morning, Hungarian Iron Lady Katinka Hosszu took a much more measured approach tonight in the women’s 400-meter IM with a 4:38.81 for the title. After her preliminary swim, only Mireia Belmonte Garcia (4:32.92) and Aimee Willmott (4:33.64) have been faster. Florencia Perotti captured second in the distance medley with a 4:51.02, while Julia Benvenutti Gerotto earned third-place honors in 4:56.95.
Thiago Pereira followed up with a swift men’s 400-meter IM of his own as he won in 4:15.45. That effort vaulted him to 10th in the world rankings, pushing Marc Sanchez Torrens (4:15.64) out of the top 10. Thiago Simon raced his way to second tonight in 4:17.98, while Brandonn Almeida snared third in 4:20.76.
Jeanette Ottesen Gray, who already stands fifth in the world with a 24.54 from the Danish Eastern Regional Championships in the women’s 50-meter free, nearly replicated that time with a 24.59 for the win tonight. Graciele Hermann kept pace for the most part with a second-place time of 24.79. That swim just missed her 24.76 from earlier this meet that ranks her 11th in the world. Alessandra Marchioro earned third with a 25.17.
Poliana Okimoto put up the top time in the women’s 800-meter freestyle with an 8:43.78 before giving way to the relays to end the evening. Carolina Bilich touched second in 8:47.73 with Viviane Eichelberger placing third with a time of 8:50.27.
The Minas foursome of Nicolas Oliveira, Miguel Valente, Giuliano Rocco and Marcos Oliveira picked up the men’s 800-meter free relay title in 7:20.05 with Oliveira charting a 1:48.94 leadoff leg. Unisanta’s Vinicius Rocha, Matheus De Santana, Felipe De Souza and Thiago Sickert finished second in 7:23.28 with Pinheiros’ Gabriel Ogawa, Pedro Spajari, Joao De Lucca and Diogo Dias earning third in 7:24.15.
Katinka Hosszu leadoff Conrinthians’ winning women’s 800-meter free relay with a 1:57.24 to move to eighth in the world rankings. Hosszu, Natalie De Luccas, Isabela Silva and Jeanette Ottesen Gray combined to win the finale in 8:08.47. Minas’ Manuella Lyrio, Inge Dekker, Carolina Bilich and Maria Paula Heitmann took second in 8:09.27 with SESI’s Jessica Cavalheiro, Daynara De Paula, Ana Marcela Da Cunha and Giovanna Diamante placing third in 8:11.59.