To see all of the 2014 Swammy Award winners, presented by TYR, click here.
2014 HONOREE: Felipe Franca da Silva, BRAZIL
Felipe Franca da Silva had an outstanding season highlighted by his performances at the World Short Course Championships in Doha. The Brazilians finished atop of the medal standings in large part to Franca who won both the 50 and 100 breaststroke and was part of three relays that took gold. In all he was part of five of the seven gold medals that the Brazilians won at the Championships.
Franca took the 50 breaststroke in a time of 25.63 setting a new championship and South American record. He also set a new championship and Brazilian record in the 100 breaststroke posting a time of 56.25.
Franca teamed up with Guilherme Guido, Nicholas Santos and Cesar Cielo in the men’s 4 x 50 medley relay winning in a new world record time of 1:30.51. He was also part of the South American record setting men’s 4 x 100 and mixed 4 x 50 medley relays that took gold in Doha.
Franca ends the short course season with the world’s top times in both the 50 and 100 breaststroke.
In the summer Franca took the silver in the 100 breaststroke at the Pan Pacific Championships posting a time of 59.82 which ranks ninth in the world.
He then went on to sweep the breaststroke events at the South American Championships. At the same meet he joined Etiene Medeiros, Daynara de Paula and Matheus Santana setting a South American record in the mixed 4 x 100 medley relay.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
- Franca was not the only Brazilian to have a strong showing in Doha as Cesar Cielo put up some impressive swims of his own. Cielo won the 100 freestyle in a time of 45.75 one one-hundredth of a second off his lifetime best and went on to swim an even more impressive split of 44.67 in the men’s 4 x 100 medley relay. He picked up another gold and was part of the world record setting men’s 4 x 50 medley as well as collecting bronze in both the 50 freestyle and the mixed 4 x 50 freestyle relay.
- 18 year old Matheus Santana had a tremendous showing at the Youth Olympic Games winning the 100 freestyle in a new junior world record time of 48.25. He also collected silver in both the individual 50 freestyle and the mixed 4 x 100 freestyle relay. At the South American Games Santana collected three gold in the 100 freestyle, 4 x 100 freestyle and medley relays setting new championship records in all three.