THE FLATS – Georgia Tech swimming & diving sophomore Caio Pumputis set a new short course South American record in the 100 IM and qualified for the 2018 Short Course World Championships in three events with his performance this week at the 2018 Jose Finkel Trophy (Brazil’s Short Course National Championship meet) in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The 2018 Short Course World Championships will be held in Hangzhou, China from Dec. 11-16.
In the 100 IM prelims, Pumputis set the new South American record with a short course time of 51.83 to finish first and earn the top seed in the finals where he again won the event with a time of 51.88. His record-setting time is the fastest time in the world this year.
The second-year Jacket also touched the wall first in the 200 breast finals with a time of 2:03.27, the fastest time in the world in the breast event thus far this year, and finished second overall in the 200 IM with a mark of 1:52.26 to qualify for the Short Course World Championships in both events.
Pumputis, whose 200 IM time broke the previous South American record, also registered a fourth-place finish in the 100 breast event with a time of 57.57.
His times this week at Brazil’s Short Course National Championship meet would’ve placed him first overall in the 100 IM, third in the 200 IM and fourth in the 200 breast at the 2016 Short Course World Championships.
Fellow Jacket and Brazil native Rodrigo Correia also competed at his country’s national championship meet this week, as he finished second behind only Pumputis in the 100 IM prelims with a time of 53.63 to advance to the finals. In the finals, the senior placed fifth overall with a time of 53.32, just missing out on qualifying for the world championships.
Correia also recorded top-five finishes in the 200 back (third – 1:53.39), 50 back (fourth – 23.54) and 100 back (fifth – 51.40), and touched the wall in ninth-place overall in the 100 free with a time of 48.05, after registering a prelims mark of 47.98.
The Yellow Jackets will start their 2018-19 season with the White vs. Gold Intrasquad meet on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28-29, at the McAuley Aquatic Center.
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