2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- February 11th – February 18th
- Doha, Qatar
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Official Entries
- Live Results (Omega)
Brazilian 21-year-old swimmer Maria Fernanda Costa broke the Brazilian and South American Records in the women’s 400 free on Sunday in Doha, earning a finals spot via a 4th place finish in the heats.
Racing in the fastest heat of the morning against names like Li Bingjie and Erika Fairweather, Costa swam 4:05.52.
That broke the old record of 4:06.02 done by Venezuela’s Andreina Pinto more than a decade ago at the 2013 World Championships.
Splits Comparison:
| Andreina Pinto | Maria Costa | Maria Costa | |
| 2013 Worlds – Prelims | 2024 Worlds – Prelims |
2023 Pan American Games
|
|
| 100m | 59.43 | 59.63 | 59.58 |
| 200m | 61.79 | 61.33 | 62.82 |
| 300m | 62.33 | 62.78 | 62.78 |
| 400m | 61.74 | 61.78 | 61.5 |
| Final Time | 4:06.02 | 4:05.52 | 4:06.68 |
Fernandes’ previous personal best was 4:06.68 from the 2023 Pan American Games. The second 100 meters seems to be the key of her race right now.
She also surpassed the Brazilian Record of Gabrielle Roncatto, who swam 4:06.25 at the Brazil Trophy in May of 2023. Roncato also swam in this meet, placing 6th in a new personal best of 4:06.13, which were it not for Costa would have been the Brazilian Record as well.
It took 4:04.98 to advance to finals at last year’s World Championships.
This was one of the handful of South American Records that weren’t held by Brazilians as the country has historically been weaker when they come to the distance freestyles, where swimmers like Delfina Pignatiello of Argentina and Kristel Kobrich of Chile have carried the torch.
More lately, though, Brazil’s middle distance and distance groups have risen to be the stars of the show both on the men’s side and women’s side. Guilherme Costa (no relation) was 6th in heats of the men’s 400 free on Sunday. Signicantly, they’re training most of those distance swimmers at home in Brazil.
South Ameircan Records Per Nation
- Brazil – 81
- Argentina – 9
- Venezuela – 2
- Colombia – 2
- Chile – 1