Brazil’s Steverink bags gold in world swimming championships

Brazilian Stephan Steverink is the new world junior champion in the 400-meter freestyle. In Lima, Peru, on Tuesday (Aug 30), the athlete from Flamengo finished the race in 3min48s27, beating Romanian Vlad Stancu by 11 hundredths. The bronze went to Poland’s Krzysztof Chmielewski, with 3min49s34.

“I don’t know what to say. My mom’s here, she’s definitely nervous. I was also very [nervous] and so was my coach, but it was a great race. The Brazilian team encourage us a lot and I won for them,” the winner celebrated in a statement to the Brazilian Confederation of Aquatic Sports, CBDA.

Stephan, 18, is the only of the 20 Brazilian representatives who was also in the adult world championship in Budapest, Hungary), two months ago. In Lima, the swimmer is yet to fight for medals in the 800m and in the 1,500m freestyle, as well as in the 400m medley, an event he competed in Hungary, in which he finished in 16th place.

The son of a Dutch father and a Brazilian mother, Steverink has dual nationality and has been accompanied by the confederations of both countries. In Brazil, he has already beaten basic records of athletes such as medalist Thiago Pereira. In the Netherlands, the swimmer has also defeated major names, including three-time Olympic champion Pieter Van den Hoogenband, in the 200m freestyle at under-13 level.