Hail Cesar Cielo - the greatest freestyle sprinter of all time!

In a legal, fully approved, FINA swimsuit, Cesar Cielo, will probably hold the world record title for the 50-meter free for at least another 1/2-century!

Who will dare call him a cheater for wearing a "shiny suit"?

Born in Brazil, trained in Americas; [Plural], Cielo confirmed at the Brazilian Long Course Meters Championship that he is the planet's best 50-meter free swimmer and will be for a very long time.

I am so sorry that the aforementioned statement will hurt Eamon Sullivan, Libby Trickett, Mark Schubert, and Bob Bowman's feelings but that is the way both Arena and Cesar Cielo roll.

From Swimming World:

SAO PAULO, Brazil, December 18. DURING morning finals today at the Brazil Long Course Championships, Cesar Cielo beat the world record in the men's 50 free.

After clocking a 21.02 during prelims last night to put Fred Bousquet's global standard of 20.94 from April on notice, Cielo clipped the record with a blazing fast time of 20.91. Cielo's best time heading into this meet had been a South American record of 21.08 clocked at the World Championships this summer.

Cielo returned in the men's 400 free relay with a leadoff time of 47.29 as Cielo, Andre Daudt, Fernando Da Silva and Gabriel Mangabeira won the race with a meet-record time of 3:16.30.

[Link]

SwimScience: Has entered the building

G. John Mullen is a doctorate student of physical therapy at USC. He swam for Purdue and his offers technical reviews of races and swim-related science articles. He also coaches for SCAQ and I didn't realize that till I saw him at one of the pools.

I am adding his site to the links column for I like how he presents his evluations

Below is his evaluation of which swimmer Amaury Leveaux or César Cielo, had the most epic WR and why. He has three videos of the two up to compare as well. I am including just Leveaux's. To finish the post to see who had the "most excellent" WR of the two, click the link below the snippet.

From SwimScience:

All of these records are impressive on their own level, but one main point is that all three of them break barriers (41, 47 and 45). When breaking down the races, it came down to a great underwater and 2nd half swimmer Leveaux, but a powerful, complete racer from the great Auburn sprinters. Leveaux's percent difference for his 2nd 50 was only 4.65% slower than his first 50 compared to Cielo's 6.95% slower 2nd 50 in SCY and 10.39% slower 2nd 50 in LCM (LCM should be slower, because it's easier to maintain speed on turns). [...]

[...]

[Link]

Hail Cesar! - "Veni, Vidi, Vici, the 100 free!"

Veni, Vidi, Vici - "I came I saw, I conquered!"

Julius Ceasar uttered those words to the Roman Senate after a glorious Roman battle had been won but what a battle the French put up trying to claim the victory against Cesar Cielo in the 100-meter free!

Brazil's Cesar Cielo claims the world record in the 100-free wearing an approved speedsuit.

Eamon Sullivan's former WR, the one that Alain Bernard broke in an unapproved speedsuit, was surpassed as well.

From Swimming World:

Cielo scorched the pool with a 46.91 to break the official world record of 47.05 set by Eamon Sullivan at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Cielo also bettered the 46.94 set by Alain Bernard in an unapproved suit back in April.

Bernard checked in with a silver-winning time of 47.12, while teammate Fred Bousquet took bronze in 47.25.

[Link]

As you know, I am currently quite cross with those commonwealth swimmers and USA coaches who, with their condescending rhetoric regarding speedsuits, have degraded the swim talent of those swimmers wearing what they perceived to be better suits.

Hence it is my belief that their sponsor, Speedo, "gamed" FINA to change the rules in 2010 in their particular favor. Consequently, I am loving this victory!

AP had this to say:

Bernard came in as the favorite, having become the first man to break 47 seconds with his time of 46.94 in Montpellier in April.

But that time was never ratified as a world record because he swam in an unapproved suit.

Cielo left no doubt, however, who was fastest as he was three-hundredths of a second under Bernard's best.

[Link]

Since this will be the "last supper" for speedsuits, I think the brand names that contributed to these victories are part of the story. :-P

Cielo was wearing Arena!

Eamon Sullivan in Beijing: "...Fell into swimming's oldest trap."

I think Sullivan placed 6th in the 50-free at the Beijing Olympics because of the overwhelming talent in the pool not because he looked around to check out where Alain Bernard was.

The fact that every competitor in that final swam a :21 should validate the amount of ability and talent in the pool that day.

However, it does bring up many questions about how the swimmers swam their races in Beijing. Remember Katie Hoff, who didn't want to "break a nail" as Clay Evans noted to this blog; Milord Cavic, who looked up and lost by a 100th-of-a-second to Phelps in the 200 'fly 100-meter 'fly; and even Jason Lezak who looked over at the end of the 4x100 relay at Bernard?

From The Age.com:

Let's get this straight: Sullivan didn't choke. What he did do, however - just like Ian Thorpe in his favourite 200-metre freestyle event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when he was a sure thing beaten by Holland's Pieter van den Hoogenband - was fall into swimming's oldest trap.

"You see little kids when they're swimming and their coaches tell them not to look around," Sullivan says, "and they're doing breaststroke and they're in front and [he motions with his head turning like a side-show clown] they look back to see where the others are. I guess you never lose that sort of thing, and when you see someone next to you, that's when instinct tells you to try harder and that's when your technique goes. ..."

[Link]

This is how close the Beijing Olympics, 50-free final went; Hail Cesar:

21.30 - Cesar Cielo
21.45 - Amaury Leveaux
21.49 - Alain Bernard
21.62 - Ashley Callus
21.64 - Ben Wildman-Tobriner
21.65 - Eamon Sullivan
21.67 - Roland Schoeman
21.72 - Stefan Nystrand

Theresa Alshammar sprinting - Note her head position!

It's official, great swimmers look up when sprinting. So far Cesar Cielo and Alexander Popov are the only swimmers I can find who look down when sprinting.

Cullen Jones is getting faster - Just go ask Cesar Cielo.

From the Charlotte Observer: "...Former N.C. State star Cullen Jones set a meet record in winning his second event and Kelsey Ditto and South Africa's Troy Prinsloo also became multi-event winners Sunday during the final day of the Charlotte UltraSwim.

Jones, who won a gold medal with the U.S. team in the men's 400-meter freestyle relay at the 2007 World Championships, bettered the meet record in winning the 100 freestyle at the Mecklenburg Aquatic Center.

Jones, who won the 50 freestyle Saturday, won Sunday in 49.37 seconds -- bettering the mark of 49.57 set last year by Cesar Cielo. ..."

Hail Cesar Cielo! - NCAA 2008 - 40"92 in the 100 Yard Free

Cesar Cielo from Brazil swimming for Auburn University becomes the first man in NCAA history to break a 0:41 in the 100 YD free. Links: [Swimming World] - [CSTV] - [College Swimming]

Cesar Cielo in the 100m free at the 2007 Pan American Games

Fast turnover, nice turn, breathes to the side in a unique way with sort of a lope. Here he is swimming a sub :5o 100m free. Congratulations, Cesar Cielo! See you in Beijing.

The Pan American Games start in a few days...

I am rooting for Gary Hall in the 50 free. The last time he raced he beat Cullen Jones but that Cesar Cielo of Brazil beat them both. My post regarding the race and the results can be seen here: [Link]

I suspect Cesar Cielo will once again be a favorite at the Pan Am games due to the home pool advantage.

Here is a link to the official Pan American Games site: [Link]

Laure Manaudou to face friend, Esther Baron in 50m Back

Esther Baron, will face her friend Laure Manaudou in the 50m back final. If Baron wins it, I reiterate that Laure has some swimming to do.

The mens division is looking pretty impressive, Camille La court clocked a French record in the 50m back in a time of 25.66. He is coached both Manaudou's former coach, Philippe Lucas. As abusive as Manaudou has accused him of being, he is producing fast swimmers. Of course do not forget Alain Bernard's 'time dilating, 50m time of 21.76. (See above photo) [Link] [French Eurosport Link] Results [Link]

The French mens divison are looking pretty good though I wonder if any of their distance swimmers can beat Kate Ziegler? The Pan Pacific invitational swimmers couldn't.

Imagine this lineup in the 50m free at Beijing: Ben Wildman Tobriner; Gary Hall or Cullen Jones, Alain Bernard, Roland Schoeman, Filippo Magnini, Ceasar Cielo.

Huge win for Cesar Cielo - Gary Hall beats Cullen Jones to finish third!

Her are the results for the 2007 Charlotte Ultra Swim Meet. Note the the 50 meter free; I am summarily stunned. Gary Hall beats Cullen Jones and therby places third whereas Cielo beats both of them to finish first. David Marsh of Auburn is making a heck of a swimmer out of the South American. Go Brazil!

Amanda weir had a good meet too placing first in in the 100 Free. [Link]

I will check for You Tubes and post them soon.

Cullen Jones, Cesar Cielo, Gary Hall face off this weekend

The 'psyche sheet' for the Ultra Swim USA Swimming meet has beet posted. the meet actually starts tomorrow. Here are top seed times for the 50m free. [Link]

Cesar Cielo probably will feel the least pressure and Cullen Jones will feel the most. That is to say if people feel pressure at that level. I am rooting for the old guy, Gary Hall, but a win by Cielo or Jones will be celebrated.

1  Jones, Cullen A     23 Unattached-NC    21.84  OLYM
2  Cielo, Cesar A      20 Auburn-SE        22.08  OLYM
3  Hall, Gary W        32 Unattached-ZZ    22.40  OLYM
4  Cavic, Mike         23 Unattached-ZZ    22.50  OLYM
5  Targett, Matt S     21 Auburn-SE        22.66  OLYM
6  Andkjaer, Jakob S   22 Auburn-SE        22.77  OLYM
7  Adrian, Nathan G    18 Unattached-ZZ    22.80  OLYM
8  Lundquist, Bryan J  22 Stingrays-GA     22.88  OLYM 

Amanda Weir is going to swim the 100 free, the 400 free and the 50 free. I will be rooting for her as well.

A rerun of the Hayden/Magnini tie in the 100m free at 2007 World Championships

Look at the ferocity of this swim; you would think they were swimming just 50 meters.

50 meter trifecta bet: Cesar Cielo, Cullen Jones, Roland Schoeman

I should have put Roland first but I am putting down who I want to win not who I think will win. Cielo is amazingly strong and he has no pressure to do well which leads me to think he will medal. Plus it would be so cool for Brazil to go gold. I believe Cielo trains with Coach Marsh at Auburn and look at his face in the photograph to the right. Sort of reminds me of Natalie Coughlin.

Cullen Jones seemed off his game in the 4 x 100 relay but he got a gold and he has international experience. Roland is hungry; he is always hungry, and he has a gold too in the 50 fly beating Ian Crocker as well. So, ipso facto, my "trifecta" is probably backwards so place you imaginary bets accordingly.

NCAA 50 yards Freestyle Record by Cesar Cielo 2007

His second 25 looks amazing.