João Costa smashed the national record in the 50m backstroke with a time of 25.25s. This beat the previous record of 25.28s set by Alexis Santos. Costa’s feat came during the Open de Portugal event.
Costa had aimed to break the record and qualify for the World Championship in Singapore. Although he didn’t quite hit the qualifying time, he was happy with his performance. “It was a big step after my injury,” he said, referring to his shoulder operation at the end of 2023.
Breaking Records
Alexandre Amorim also broke a national record, this time in the 50m breaststroke with a time of 28.03s. He improved on his previous time of 28.07s set in Gijon, Spain.
Amorim’s record-breaking swim was a surprise, given that he had suffered a groin injury just four weeks prior. “I wasn’t expecting to break the record this morning,” he admitted. Despite not bettering his time in the final, Amorim remains hopeful of achieving more.
Costa and Amorim’s record-breaking swims were just two of several notable performances at the Open de Portugal event. The competition saw multiple national records fall, with athletes pushing themselves to new heights.
Looking Ahead
For Costa, the next goal is to qualify for the World Championship in Singapore. Although he didn’t quite hit the qualifying time, he remains focused on his training. “I need to stay focused and keep working,” he said.
Amorim, on the other hand, has set his sights on the European Short Course Championship in December. With a minimum qualifying time of 28.00s, he is just three hundredths of a second away from achieving his goal. “I’m going to try and get the qualifying time in the long course,” he declared.
The road to success is never easy, but for these athletes, the journey is just as important as the destination. With their sights set on future competitions, they will continue to push themselves to new heights.