Thiago Pereira wins Men’s 400m IM gold medal - 2011 Santa Clara International Invitational
Trojan Swim Club’s Thiago M Pereira secured the Men’s 400m Individual Medley (IM) title, on day three of the 2011 Santa Clara International Invitational.
The championship is the concluding stop of the 2010-11 USA Grand Prix Series, which invited international swimmers to gather in one place and compete with each other before the upcoming battle of the 2011 Shanghai World Championships, in July.
The 25-year-old Pereira pocketed the gold medal of the swim in a wonderful time of 4 minutes and 15.89 seconds. Pereira, who qualified as the fourth fastest swimmer into the finals, overwhelmed Ryan S Lochte in the finals to secure the top on the podium.
Lochte of DBS-FL stayed almost two seconds behind Pereira and appeared on the finishing wall for the silver medal, by clocking a time of 4 minutes and 17.76 seconds. Chase T Kalisz of North Baltimore followed them on the podium for the bronze medal, by registering
a time of 4 minutes and 19.15 seconds.
The gold medallist, Pereira, was almost twelve seconds away from the American and world record of 4 minutes and 03.84 seconds, set by Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. He was also 10.74 seconds away from the US Open record of 4 minutes and
05.25 seconds, clocked by North Baltimore’s Phelps in 2008.
Australian swimmer, Mitchell Larkin, completed his swim in the fourth fastest place, by posting a time of 4 minutes and 21.10 seconds. Kalisz’s team-member, Brennan W Morris, emerged as the fifth fastest swimmer after he completed his swim in a time of 4
minutes and 25.98 seconds.
William M Cregar of Athens Bulldog and Joshua C Prenot of Santa Maria Swim ended their swims in the sixth and seventh fastest places, producing a time of 4:26.43 and 4:27.23 minutes, respectively. William T Harris of PSDN-VA finished his swim in the eight
spot by touching the wall in a time of 4 minutes and 28.02 seconds.
The crowd enjoyed the impressive swims of international contestants, while the championship will run for one more day.
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