Swimmer Etiene Medeiros Earns Brazil's First World Championships Medal Among Women

08/07/2015 - 10h14

Born in the Brazilian State of Pernambuco, Etiene Medeiros, 24, entered the history of women's swimming after conquering a silver medal in the 50m backstroke, on Thursday (6), during the World Swimming championship in Kazan - which is not an Olympic event.

Etiene led the race and clocked 27.26, the new South American swimming record. Chinese Fu Yuanhui won the gold medal, in a time of 27.11. Another Chinese, Liu Xiang, stood on the podium in a time of 27.58.

It was Brazil's first medal in the 50m long course pool by a female swimmer in a World Championship. So far, the country's best result in long course pool belonged to Etiene herself: fourth place in the 50m backstroke in Barcelona-2013.

Last year, Etiene became the first Brazilian woman to win a short course world's medal. She earned gold in the 50m backstroke and set a world record in Doha.

Moreover, she was the first to earn an individual gold medal in the Pan American Games, winning the gold in the 100m backstroke in Toronto-2015, less than a month ago.

She holds the South American record in the 100m backstroke, 50m backstroke and 50m freestyle in long pool (50 m).

Etiene Medeiros' medal is Brazil's third at the Kazan pools. Thiago Pereira won silver in the 200m medley and Nicholas Santos earned silver in the 50m butterfly.

Translated by JULIANA CALDERARI

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	Hannibal Hanschke - 6.ago.2015/Reuters
	Etiene Medeiros poses with her silver medal after the women's 50m backstroke final at the Aquatics World Championships