Tokyo 2020, SA Day 8: Fratus Becomes Oldest Swimmer to Win First Olympic Medal | SwimSwam

By Spencer Penland on SwimSwam

2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

• When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
  • Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
• Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
• Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
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Bruno Fratus Wins First Olympic Medal at Age 32

Brazil’s Bruno Fratus‘ wait is over, as one of the great men’s sprinters of this era earned his first Olympic medal during the final session of the Tokyo Olympics. The 32-year-old finished 3rd in the final of the men’s 50 free, swimming a 21.57 to earn a Bronze medal for Brazil. Though Fratus has a decorated career at the World Championships, Pan Pacific, and Pan American Games, he had never, until tonight, won an Olympic medal.

Additionally, Fratus has now become the oldest pool swimmer in history to win their first Olympic medal. That title was previously held by American David Plummer, who won his first medal with a 3rd-place finish in the 100 back at the 2016 Rio Olympics at the age of 30. Plummer was 30 year, 304 days old when he earned his first medal, while Fratus was 32 years, 32 days old. That mean’s Fratus was approximately 1 year and 3 months older than Plummer was. Importantly, Fratus is only the oldest pool swimmer to earn a first Olympic medal. There have been open water swimmers who are older when they earn their first medal.

This wasn’t the first piece of history Fratus made in the past several days. With his semifinals performance of 21.60, Fratus became the first swimmer ever to record 90 sub-22 LCM 50 free performances in their career. He added to that total with his finals swim of 21.57, so he now has 91 career sub-22s. Fratus has hinted that these were his last Games, but it will be interesting if he chooses swims for another year or two, and is able to reach 100 sub-22 50 frees.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: Cesar Cielo (BRA) – 20.91 (2009)
• Olympic Record: Cesar Cielo (BRA) – 21.30 (2008)
• World Junior Record: Michael Andrew (USA) – 21.75 (2017)
• 2016 Olympic Champion: Anthony Ervin (USA) – 21.40
• SwimSwam Event Preview – Men’s 50 freestyle

1. Caeleb Dressel (USA), 21.07 OR
2. Florent Manaudou (FRA), 21.55
3. Bruno Fratus (BRA), 21.57
4. Michael Andrew (USA), 21.60
5. Ben Proud (GBR) / Kristian Gkolomeev (GRE), 21.72
6. –
7. Lorenzo Zazzeri (ITA), 21.78
8. Thom De Boer (NED), 21.79

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