Cesar Cielo has withdrawn from the Brazilian Pan Pacs team, which is the latest blow to a Brazilian sprint group that has high hopes for relay medals at the 2015 World Championships and 2016 Olympic Championships.
In a letter sent out Monday by president Coaracy Nunes, the CBDA announced the final Pan Pacs roster, and Cielo was not on it. According to Pussielidi, skipping Pan Pacs had been in Cielo’s mind before Maria Lenk, but swimming a 21.39 without being fully tapered gave him pause.
Upon further reflection though, Cielo has decided that his bigger picture goals will be better served by taking time to become more accustomed to his new team and new training, according to Blog do Coach’s Alex Pussielidi. His plan is to come back full-force for the Short Course World Championships.
Cielo is currently ranked #1 in the world in the 50 meter free in long course, with 7 of the world’s top 10 in that event swimming for Pan Pac participating countries.
SwimSwam’s Brazilian correspondent D’Artagnan Dias analyzes the decision as a logical one; to many of Cielo’s sponsors, the short course World Championships carry a more prestigious weight than Pan Pacs, regardless of the perception of the broader swimming community.
While Brazil is not one of the four founding nations of the Pan Pac Championships, it is the country’s focus meet this year. They will now be without their two fastest 100 freestylers: Cielo and Junior World Record holder Matheus Santana. The Brazilians’ four best had an opportunity to upend the inconsistent sprint relays from Australia and the United States at Pan Pacs, but without Cielo or Santana, that chance virtually disappears.
Cielo is the fastest-ever swimmer over 50 long course meters and over 50 yards; if his focus lies entirely on the Short Course World Championships, the 27-year old could add the 50 short course meters World Record to that list as well and unify the three marks.
Of interest to American fans is that U.S. coach Brett Hawke at Auburn University will be on this staff, just as he was for Worlds last year. He’s now the coach of both Marcelo Chierighi and Bruno Fratus. In all, there are 9 coaches for just 19 swimmers, meaning everyone should get plenty of attention in pre-meet workouts.
The 2014 Pan Pacs will run from August 21st-25th in Gold Coast, Australia.
At the 2010 Pan Pacs, Cielo took a silver in the 50 free, a bronze in the 100 free, and a gold in the 50 fly.
The latest list of Brazlian entries for Pan Pacs:
ATHLETES:
| MASC | FEM | ||
| BRUNO Fratus | ECP / SP | ALESSANDRA MARCHIORO | BFR / RJ |
| JOAO DE LUCCA | ECP / SP | ANA CARLA CARVALHO | ECP / SP |
| NICOLAS OLIVEIRA | MTC / MG | Daynara DE PAULA | SESI / SP |
| GUILLHERME GUIDO | ECP / SP | Etienne MEDEIROS | SESI / SP |
| FÁBIO SANTI | ECP / SP | CAROLINA BERGAMASCHI | MTC / MG |
| LEONARDO DE DEUS | SCCP / SP | Graciele HERRMANN | GNU / RS |
| JOAO GOMES JR | ECP / SP | – | – |
| FRANCA FELIPE SILVA | SCCP / SP | – | – |
| THIAGO SIMON | SCCP / SP | – | – |
| TALES CERDEIRA | UNISANTA / SP | – | – |
| NICHOLAS SANTOS | UNISANTA / SP | – | – |
| Thiago Pereira | SESI / SP | – | – |
| MARCELO Chierighini | ECP / SP | – | – |
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE:
| PROF. RÔMULO Noronha – EHAD COACH | CBDA |
| PROF. ALBERTO SILVA – COACH | CBDA |
| PROF. FERNANDO vanzella – COACH | CBDA |
| PROF. SCOTT VOLKERS – COACH | MTC / MG |
| PROF. SERGIO MARQUES – COACH | SCCP / SP |
| PROF. CARLOS MATHEUS – COACH | SCCP / SP |
| PROF. BRETT HAWKE – COACH | CBDA |
| PROF. ANDRE FERREIRA – COACH | ECP / SP |
| PROF. Arilson SILVA – TECHNICAL | CBDA |
| PROF. FREDERICK SON Guariglia | GNU / RS |
| DR. GUSTAVO Magliocca – DOCTOR | CBDA |
| FT. NATAN CUNHA – PHYSIOTHERAPIST | CBDA |
| DR. PAUL MARINO – BIOMECHANICIST | CBDA |
| PROF. Nathalia MEDEIROS – PHYSIOLOGIST | CBDA |
| VAGNER BIRTH – Masseuse | CBDA |
Crazy idea – go to both. It’s not like he’s a marathon swimmer or the events are two weeks apart. It’s racing maybe 3 – 400 meters (much less if he didn’t swim the 100 Free) more than FOUR MONTHS apart. Suck it up and go to both!
This.
I am baffled by Cielo’s decision.
In my opinion as an avid swim fan (which I know means zilch), Pan Pacs carry greater prestige than the SCM worlds, it takes place only once in every four years and between all top swimming nations bar the europeans (oh, and it is in LCM – nuff said).
His health and fitness seems to be good already; as comparison, Sullivan had surgery after the aussie trials, and yet is willing to sacrifice commonwealth games so that he could have the chance to swim in Pan Pacs, although that can be a no go for him too, depending on his doctor’s order.
aswimfan,
there is something the article dont show: PanPacs is insignificant down here.Its like PanAms Games for Americans.They(americans) always send the THIRD team for PanAms, while Brazil send the top one.
Brazilian media dont give a sh1t about PanPacs.World Short Course have some prestige because of Fernando Scherer and Gustavo Borges.Even a pool on the beach was assembled in the past.
We know PanPacs have more prestige than WSC, but most don t.Its a bit hard to explain for non-swimming fans why PanPacs is important when dont have the countries of all americas.
A sad turn for the sport in the sense that it diminishes racing. You don’t see Golfers or tennis players skipping Majors or Grand Slams.
I’m sure Cielo will put up great times some time during this year, be in in LC or short course, but given his performance at Maria Lenk I was looking forward to 21.2 something and a great race with Adrian, Ervin and Sullivan. As fans, we want dueling to mean something, be it at Grand Prix, World Cup, Pan Pacs, Worlds or the Olympics. Sitting out other meets to focus on long term goals sort of takes to focus away from winning championships and medals.
Where is Scott Goodrich? That relationship didn’t seem to last long as expected.
why da hell they would translate names? john of luca? lol william guido? well now I know that the english version of Guilherme is William loooooool
Ddias, it was not one of cielo’s worst meets. It was his first meet against fully tapered elite swimmers without supersuits. With those same style swims, he would have been close to his wr times the year before. He him self said he lost about .5 every 50. And the super suits helped fast starting swimmers more than backend swimmers because it helped with the fatigue. Which is exactly cielo’s style. He just got beat. Plain and simple.
No it wasn t.
That dont explain his 21.55 in Paris Open doing weights unrested/untapered(he posted at that time).Cielo is a VERY regular tapered swimmer,He has only TWO meetings in his career doing inseason times better than MAIN event:PanPacs and 2012 Olympics.Cielo was very clear(at that time) he was going to chase 21 low mark.That was the cause of his rift(at the time) with Hawke.
That time(Paris Open), is the BEST untapered swim of Cielo(ever) without the suits.Please, dont put Maria Lenk times(like his 21.39 this year) because he rested a full week for ML Trophy.
NOTE:
Cielo start at PanPacs was his best ever.He made 4.8 in the first 15 meters.If i am not mistaken, he made 5.11 in 2011 Worlds and only 5.28(coming from knee surgery) in 2013.
Lane 0. 2010 pan pacs, adrian, by all accounts, stunned cielo in the 50 free. He also upset him in the 100.
That PanPacs was awful to watch Cielo swimming.He was leading 90%of the races and died is the last 5 meters(in 50 and 100free!).He was looking like a car without gas…Cielo made only 48.48 in 100free and made 21.57 after doing 21.55 in Paris Open doing weights!It was the best meeting of Adrian life(if you skip last Olympics) and one of the worst of Cielo.
He never made again a meeting with too strong 50 and 100free.
Nowadays, to do the same deed, he would have to put 21.3 and 47.5 praying to Cielo, Magnussen and McEvoy dont deliver their best/improve times.
Still it should be an all around fun meet. On the men sprinter’s side Australia has Magnussen and McEvoy, and Brasil’s 4 x 100 medley relay should be powerful, though I can’t remember who’d the backstroke leg.
Backstroke=Fabio Santi(54 low).