World record holder Cesar Cielo, who cut ties with his former team Pinheiros after two years early in 2019, has signed with Itajaí through the end of the year, Globo Esporte reported Thursday.
Itajaí is team No. 8 for the Brazilian great.
The new team marks a shift for the 32-year-0ld, who has represented storied powerhouse teams Minas and Pinheiros as of late. Itajaí had just nine swimmers entered in the 2019 Brazil Trophy last week (Pinheiros was the team champion with 50-plus swimmers), and was founded in 2002 (Esporte Club Pinheiros has been around since 1899).
While he was without a team, Cielo opted to forgo the Brazil Trophy, and thus, any chance of swimming at the 2019 FINA World Championships in July. In that time, he lamented his treatment by the CBDA, Brazil’s governing body for aquatic sports. He has been training under personal coach Regis Mencia, who was previously with him at Pinheiros, and will continue to do so at the Olympic Training and Research Center in Sao Paulo despite Itajaí’s base in Santa Catarina.
Itajaí will introduce Cielo at an event in mid-May, according to Globo Esporte. He could make his competitive debut for the team at the José Finkel Trophy in September.
Cielo is the most successful Brazilian swimmer in history. While there was speculation he would retire after Short Course Worlds in 2018, Cielo raced earlier this year, and said that he will evaluate his intentions to swim through the Olympic quad later in 2019.
Is it me or he’s starting to loose some hair??
I give it four months.
He’s gotta go all in on the 100 free to get a relay spot next year, no way he could medal in the 50 against these guys now, the podium next year could be all under 21.3. Lochtes got a better chance in the 200 IM then Cesar in the 50
With chiereghini Breno spajari Gabriel calvelo fratus I would be surprised if he got into A final