Carvalho, Alcantara Set South American Records at Jose
Giulia Carvalho and Leonardo Alcantara broke South American records in the 100m butterfly and 400m freestyle at the Jose Finkel Trophy in Sao Paulo.
Giulia Carvalho and Leonardo Alcantara set new South American records on the opening days of the 2026 Jose Finkel Trophy in Sao Paulo. The Brazilian Interclub Absolute Swimming Championship, which runs from August 31st to September 4th, is a key qualifier for this year's Short Course World Championships in Beijing.
Over 400 athletes are competing at the short course meters meet, aiming to hit the qualification standards for the global championships in December. The event has already produced several qualifiers and multiple record-breaking performances.
Women's 100m Butterfly Record
Giulia Carvalho, a former University of Miami swimmer, dominated the women's 100m butterfly. She won the event in a South American record time of 56.06 seconds. Her performance shattered the previous mark of 56.31 set by Brazil's Daiene Dias at the 2018 Short Course World Championships.
Carvalho's splits were 11.95, 14.23 (26.18), 14.36, and 15.52. Beatriz Bezerra took silver in 57.02 seconds, with Luanna Oliveira earning bronze in 57.84. Both Carvalho and Bezerra cleared the 'A' qualifying standard of 57.40 for the 2026 Short Course World Championships.
Men's 400m Freestyle Record
Leonardo Alcantara delivered a stunning performance in the men's 400m freestyle. The Alabama swimmer clocked a time of 3:37.46, establishing a new South American record. He obliterated his previous career-best of 3:47.65 from two years ago.
Alcantara's swim erased the former continental record of 3:39.06 set by Venezuela's Alfonso Mestre at the 2021 Short Course Worlds. It also beat the previous Brazilian national record of 3:39.10 held by Fernando Scheffer since 2018.
Eduardo Moraes finished second in 3:38.97, also under Scheffer's old national mark. Stephan Steverink, a future University of Kentucky swimmer, took bronze in 3:40.25. All three podium finishers achieved the qualifying standard for Beijing.
Early Qualifiers for Beijing
Through the first two days of competition, several swimmers have secured their spots for the 2026 Short Course World Championships. According to the meet report, the list of qualifiers includes record-setters and athletes who met the 'A' standard.
| Swimmer | Event | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo Alcântara | 400m Freestyle | 3:37.46 | South American Record |
| Giulia Carvalho | 100m Butterfly | 56.06 | South American Record |
| Maria Fernanda Costa | 400m Freestyle | 3:59.88 | A Standard |
| Maria Paula Heitmann | 400m Freestyle | 4:04.99 | A Standard |
| Beatriz Bezerra | 100m Butterfly | 57.02 | A Standard |
| Pedro Busch | 100m Butterfly | 49.69 | A Standard |
| Caio Pumputis | 200m Breaststroke | 2:02.60 | A Standard |
| Pedro Souza | 200m Backstroke | 1:50.97 | A Standard |
| Caio Pumputis | 200m Medley | 1:54.97 | A Standard |
| Leonardo Santos | 200m Medley | 1:53.91 | A Standard |
The competition continues in Sao Paulo as swimmers chase more qualifying times for the December championships in China.
