Maria Fernanda Costa Record in 200 Free Leads Women’s Wave at Brazilian Trials

Maria Fernanda Costa Record in 200 Free Leads Women’s Wave at Brazilian Trials

Maria Fernanda Costa swam 1:56.37 in the women’s 200 free on Tuesday, lowering her Brazilian and South American records at Brazilian Trials.

It’s the third time Costa has set the mark this year, having gone 1:57.11 in semifinals at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships and 1:56.85 in finals to finish fifth. That clinched the Olympic A cut for the 21-year-old, and she’s in good form as the rest of the Brazilian team takes shape in Rio this week.

For a national program long heavy on male dominance and sprinting, it’s the women and distance sets leading the way through the meet’s first two days.

Behind Costa in the 200 free was Stephanie Balduccini, in 1:58.51. Gabrielle Roncatto was third in 1:58.71, followed by Maria Paula Heitman in 1:58.81. That’s likely to be the foursome for the 800 free relay in Paris. Aline Rodrigues, part of the national-record squad in Doha instead of Heitman, was fifth in 1:59.62. (She was the slowest of the four in Doha in 1:59.73.)

Costa and Roncatto affirmed their spots in the women’s 400 free on Monday. Costa dropped another A cut in 4:06.11 to win. She had been 4:02.86 to set a national record in Doha. Roncatto’s 4:09.00 was second. It’s a B cut, though she’s already into Paris.

Beatriz Dizotti won the women’s 1,500 free on Tuesday in 16:13.02, earning her a spot in the Games.

On Monday, Guilherme Costa confirmed his spot by winning the 400 freestyle in 3:46.90. It’s an Olympic B cut, though he was under the auto standard in finishing fourth at the 2024 Worlds. Second to him was Stephan Steverink in 3:47.48, an Olympic B cut.

Costa finished second in the 200 free on Tuesday in 1:47.10. It was won by Murilo Sartori in 1:46.98, which is shy of an A cut (1:46.26). Costa already has an A cut. Fernando Scheffer was third in 1:47.60, with Eduardo Moares fourth in the relay contention.

In other action Monday, Caio Pumputis won the men’s 100 breaststroke in 1:00.81, which is well shy of the A cut of 59.49. Joao Gomes was second.

The women’s 100 butterfly was a ball, won by Dynara de Paula in 1:00.00. That’s shy of the A cut of 57.92, but what Brazil lacks in top-end speed it makes up for in depth: Celine Souza Bispo was .06 back, with all eight A finalists (plus two in the B final) clustered within .57 seconds and 12 total swimmers under 1:01.

Steverink won Tuesday’s men’s 400 individual medley in 4:16.29, well shy of the A cut. Ana Carolina Vieira likewise won the women’s 100 breaststroke in 1:08.92.

Brazilian Trials will contribute to qualification for relay spots in Paris, with a hybrid process that includes the BRICS Games in June. Brazil has qualified the men’s and women’s 400 and 800 free relays to Paris.

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