Oliveira Posts 2nd Fastest Brazilian 100 Free in Day 5 Maria Lenk Prelims

2016 MARIA LENK TROPHY OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Friday, April 15th – Wednesday, April 20th
• Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Prelims 9:30am local/8:30am EDT; Finals 5:30pm local/4:30pm EDT
• Brazilian Olympic Selection Criteria
• Maria Lenk Start List
• Meet Schedule
• Real-Time Results
• Qualifiers After Day 4

In the next to last day of competition at the Maria Lenk Trophy Open Championships, the event schedule returns to a four event line-up. Brazil’s top female swimmer Etiene Medeiros delivered the only sub-55 100 free at the Brazil Open, resulting in a South American and Brazil National Record of 54.26. So far she’s the only Brazilian to have swum a FINA ‘A’ standard in the event and her only competition looks to be Larissa Oliveira of Pinheiros, whose seed time of 54.61 happens to be the previous record mark broken by Medeiros in December. In the men’s 200 back, Corinthians swimmer Leonardo de Deus clocked the very first Olympic qualification for Brazil with a blistering 1:57.43 and with only two others under the 2:00 barrier, his Rio position is secure. Japan’s Sae Saito comes to the Maria Lenk Trophy with the only FINA ‘A’ standard in the women’s 200 breast (2:26.44). Her nearest competitor in the event is Julia Sebastian (2:28.38), but she’ll need a strong effort to chase the qualification mark of 2:26.94. Henrique Rodrigues and Thiago Pereira each obtained an FINA ‘A’ cut in the Brazil Open 200 IM prelims and if no one can trump their respective marks of 1:58.26 and 1:58.32, their ticket to Rio is golden.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE – PRELIMS

• Brazilian Record: Etiene Medeiros, 54.26 (2015)
• FINA ‘A’ Qualification Standard: 54.43
• ‘A’ Qualifiers from Brazil Open: Etiene Medeiros (54.26)

Former Brazilian record-holder Larissa Oliveira controlled the prelims session at 54.53, Brazil’s second all-time fastest, with Etiene Medeiros just over a tenth behind her at 54.67. Medeiros was out faster than anyone, flipping in 25.85 to Oliveira’s 26.01, but couldn’t close as well. Perhaps that front end speed will be helpful tonight when chasing Oliveira, who needs to drop an additional tenth for an Olympic qualification. Manuella Lyrio and Daiene Dias swam alongside Oliveira in heat six, registering A final marks of 55.30 and 55.99.

Liuyuxin Li of China touched in at 56.05 in the first heat, improving on her seed by a whopping four seconds and posted the fastest time until heat six where Daynara Ferreira and Graciele Herrmann dipped under 56 seconds for 55.02 and 55.93 respectively. Katarina Listopadova of Slovakia, whose seed time of 56.01 would have finaled, was entered to swim in that heat but didn’t show.

Top 8:

1. Larissa Oliveira, Pinheiros, 54.53
2. Etiene Medeiros, SESI-SP, 54.67
3. Daynara Ferreira, SESI-SP, 55.02
4. Manuella Lyrio, Pinheiros, 55.30
5. Luana Ribeiro, Pinheiros, 55.57
6. Gracielle Herrmann, GNU, 55.93
7. Daiene Dias, Fiat/Minas, 55.99
8. Liuyuxin Li, China, 56.05*

*- International swimmer

MEN’S 200 BACK – PRELIMS

• Brazilian Record: Thiago Pereira, 1:57.19 (2011)
• FINA ‘A’ Qualification Standard: 1:58.22
• ‘A’ Qualifiers from Brazil Open: Leonardo de Deus (1:57.43)

Guilherme Guido, winner of the 100 back, ranks as the top swimmer going into tonight’s A final with the only sub-2:00 minute time of 1:59.92, an improvement of over a second, but still falls short of the Olympic qualification standard. Racing in the same heat as Leonardo de Deus, who’ll be lurking in 6th place tonight with 2:02.95, is second seed Nathan Bighetti at 2:00.54. After heat one swimmer Leonardo Santos’ 2:00.93, the next fastest times come in at 2:02.14 from Fabio Santi, then it jumps to Rodrigo Quadros who’s capping tonight’s final at 2:04.51. De Deus stands as the only Brazilian male to have earned his Olympic qualification so far (1:57.43).

Top 8:

1. Guilherme Guido, Pinheiros, 1:59.92
2. Nathan Bighetti, Fiat/Minas, 2:00.54
3. Leonardo Santos, Unisanta, 2:00.93
4. Fabio Santi, Pinheiros, 2:02.14
5. Andre Dos, Corinthians, 2:02.81
6. Leonardo de Deus, Corinthians, 2:02.95
7. Fernando Pires, Corinthians, 2:04.13
8. Rodrigo Quadros, Fiat/Minas, 2:04.51

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – PRELIMS

• Brazilian Record: Carolina Mussi, 2:27.42 (2009)
• FINA ‘A’ Qualification Standard: 2:26.94
• ‘A’ Qualifiers from Brazil Open: None

The international swimmers had a field day in the women’s 200 breast, taking five out of eight spots, but no FINA ‘A’ standards were claimed this morning. Dominating the prelims session as the quickest international, Sae Saito of Japan touched in at 2:30.37, besting the nearest racer Julia Sebastian (2:31.92) by over one-and-a-half seconds. Pamela Souza of Corinthians enters tonight’s final as the quickest Brazilian at 2:32.56, but with nearly six seconds to drop for an FINA ‘A’ cut, the 200 breast might go without representation by Brazil at the Games. Other foreign swimmers in tonight’s final include Andrea Podmanikova of Slovakia (2:33.98), Macarena Ceballos of Argentina (2:34.97), and Minjie Sun of China (2:35.35).

Top 8:

1. Sae Saito, Japan, 2:30.37*
2. Julia Sebastian, Unisanta (Argentina), 2:31.92*
3. Pamela Souza, Corinthians, 2:32.56
4. Andrea Podmanikova, Slovakia, 2:33.98*
5. Macarena Ceballos, Argentina, 2:34.97*
6. Minjie Sun, China, 2:35.35*
7. Lorena Barreira, Serc Sao, 2:35.79
8. Thamy Ventorin, CR Flamengo, 2:36.21

*- International swimmer

MEN’S 200 IM – PRELIMS

• Brazilian Record: Thiago Pereira, 1:55.55 (2009)
• FINA ‘A’ Qualification Standard: 2:00.28
• ‘A’ Qualifiers from Brazil Open: Henrique Rodrigues (1:58.26), Thiago Pereira (1:58.32)

A relatively calm morning in the men’s individual medley race with Henrique Rodrigues ranking the field with 2:02.13, considerably off his Brazil Open mark of 1:58.26. Thiago Pereira is the only other Brazilian to have earned his ticket in the event and with a 2:03.46 here in the prelims, he’ll swim third to Rodrigues and Gabriel Ogawa (2:02.88). Ogawa, another Pinheiros swimmer, opened his race a bit quicker on the fly compared to Rodrigues (25.95 to 26.02), but will need better than 31.43 on his back leg if he’s to pace Rodrigues and Pereira tonight.

Japan scored two of its athletes in the A final with Juran Mizohata (2:05.16) and Kakeru Murata (2:05.70). Much like Ogawa, Mizohata jumped as the early leader of the fly length and was over taken at the back to breast exchange by Pereira, 59.22 to 59.23.

Top 8:

1. Henrique Rodrigues, Pinheiros, 2:02.13
2. Gabriel Ogawa, Pinheiros, 2:02.88
3. Thiago Pereira, Fiat/Minas, 2:03.46
4. Leonardo Santos, Pinheiros, 2:03.90
5. Caio Pumputis, Pinheiros, 2:04.05
6. Juran Mizohata, Japan, 2:05.16*
7. Conrado Lino, Free Play/Mogi, 2:05.26
8. Kakeru Murata, Japan, 2:05.70*

*- International swimmer

Team Standings Through Prova/Event 16

1º		PINHEIROS	1124,00
2º		CORINTHIANS	477,00
3º		FIAT/MINAS	435,00
4º		SESI-SP	355,00
5º		UNISANTA	347,00
6º		CR FLAMENGO/RJ	178,00
7º		GNU	171,00
8º		MARINA BC/RJ	55,00
9º		FLUMENENSE FC/RJ	53,00
10º		CURITIBANO	52,00