Ever Steady Nicholas Santos Scares National Record in 50 Fly at Trofeu Brasil

Nicholas Santos; Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu/ISL

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Ever Steady Nicholas Santos Scares National Record in 50 Fly at Trofeu Brasil

Nicholas Santos may be 42 years old. He may be twice as old as three of the finalists in the men’s 50 butterfly at the Trofeu Brasil Tuesday night.

But none of that stopped him from whipping the youngsters as he’s been doing since just about time immemorial.

Nicholas Santos is bound for the World Championships yet again in an event that should be all but renamed for him, going 22.73 seconds in the meet in Rio.

That time is just off his national record (22.61). It’s well under the FINA standard of 23.63. And with just one swimmer per nation in the 50 stroke events, Santos has well and truly sewn that up.

Though he made it look so, it wasn’t an easy race. Five Brazilians were under the FINA cut in Tuesday night’s final. Second was Gabriel Santos in 23.40. Guilherme Santos, a University of Tennessee signee born in 2003, was third in 23.42 with veteran Marcelo Chierighini a tenth back. Vini Lanza was also under the cut in fourth in 23.54.

The men provided the best races on Night 2 of six of the meet, which serves as a World Championship selector meet.

The 100 back didn’t produce an A cut, but it generated a tremendous race. Guilherme Basseto came out on top, going 54.48. (The FINA cut is 54.03.) The Brazilian record-holder, Guilherme Guido, tied for second in 54.81, even with Indiana University standout Gabriel Fantoni. Flavio Oliveira was third in 55.39, .04 up on Leonardo de Deus.

Fernando Scheffer got under the A standard in the 200 free, clocking in at 1:46.18 to beat the field by a clear second. The Brazilian record holder had been second in the 400 free. Vinicius Tavares was second in 1:47.22, with Breno Correia third in 1:47.95.

On the women’s side, Stephanie Balduccini earned a spot at another international meet. The 17-year-old smoked the field in the 200 free, 1:57.77, nine tenths under the A standard. Balduccini, who in Tokyo became the youngest Brazilian Olympic swimmer since 1980, has the national record in her sights, the time of 1:57.28 set by Manuella Lyrio at the Rio Games.

Dayna de Paula, the three-time Olympian, could be headed back to Worlds at age 32. She won the 50 fly in 26.34, though that’s just .02 outside the A cut. She holds the national record in the event at 25.85 from 2009.

Argentina’s Andrea Berrino won the women’s 100 back in 1:01.85, outside the A cut. Second was Maria Luiza Pessanha in 1:02.13.

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