Maria Lenk Trophy: Stephanie Balduccini Scares Brazilian 200 Free Record
Stephanie Balduccini scared the Brazilian record in the women’s 200 free Tuesday night, earning a place at the 2025 World Championships.
The men’s race was won by Australian Sam Short in a thriller.
First, Balduccini, who went 1:56.43. That is a best time for the Michigan undergrad by a clean second. It’s under the automatic qualification time for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships (1:58.23). And it nearly unseated the Brazilian and South American record set last summer at the Paris Olympics by Maria Fernanda Costa at 1:56.06.
Costa is headed to Worlds, too, after going 1:57.60 to finish second. Aline Da Silva Rodrigues finished third in 1:59.55. Five Brazilians broke two minutes, with Gabrielle Roncatto fourth in 1:59.82 ahead of Maria Paula Heitmann’s 1:59.93.
Costa and Roncatto earned spots at Worlds in the 400 free on Monday’s first day of the Maria Lenk Trophy at Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, in Rio de Janeiro. Rodrigues finds herself in third place for a second time.
On the men’s side, Short picked up his second win of the meet by going 1:47.01. The Australian, swimming with Unisanta, is one of the highest profile international swimmers at the race.
And what a race it turned out to be. Short spoiled the party for Guilherme Costa, who is second to Short again in 1:47.27 as he was in the 400 free. Third was Kaique Alves in 1:47.28. Stephan Steverink was fourth in 1:48.07, .02 ahead of Fernando Scheffer and .03 ahead of a tie for sixth between Breno Correia and Eduardo Oliveira de Moraes.
The female 200 hundred freestylers were the only A cuts on the night. Julia Karla Goes won the women’s 100 backstroke in 1:02.19. She led four 1:02s to the wall, with Alexia Tavarez Assuncao second in 1:02.37. She was four tenths up on Andea Eliana Berrino. The auto cut is 1:00.46.
Guilherme Bassetto came agonizingly close to the A cut in the men’s 100 back, his time of 54.01 just missing the 53.94 time for the auto cut. Nick Albeiro was second in 54.67, with Samuel Lopes third. Albiero then went 54.76 off the front of the mixed medley relay, teaming with sister Gabi Albiero to help Minas Tenis Clube pick up a win.
