Thiago Pereira
Encyclopedia
Thiago Machado Vilela Pereira (born January 26, 1986 in Volta Redonda
, Rio de Janeiro
) is an international competition swimmer from Brazil
. He became known in his native country after winning the silver medal in the 200 m individual medley at the Pan American Games
in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in 2003.
Pereira's biggest success came one year later, when he won the world title in the same event at the 2004 FINA Short Course World Championships
. After that, Pereira won six gold medals in the 2007 Pan American Games
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, breaking the record of five gold medals won in one Pan American Games edition, held by Mark Spitz
. He also broke the 400 individual medley world record in short course later that same year. A resident of Belo Horizonte
he represented his native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece, where he reached the final of the 200 m IM, finishing in fifth place. In the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing, China, he also reached the final of the 200m IM, finishing fourth.
Pereira is currently the Brazilian athlete with most gold modals won in Pan American Games
, 12 in total earned in two editions of the Games, surpassing the previous record of ten gold medals earned in six editions, held by table tennis
athlete Hugo Hoyama
.
Volta Redonda
Volta Redonda is the name of a city in the Rio de Janeiro state of Brazil with 182.81 km² of area, located from 350m to 707m from the sea level and with a population of 259,811 inhabitants . The area around the city has nearly 700,000...
, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro (state)
Rio de Janeiro is one of the 27 states of Brazil.Rio de Janeiro has the second largest economy of Brazil behind only São Paulo state.The state of Rio de Janeiro is located within the Brazilian geopolitical region classified as the Southeast...
) is an international competition swimmer from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. He became known in his native country after winning the silver medal in the 200 m individual medley at the Pan American Games
Swimming at the 2003 Pan American Games
The Swimming Competition at the 2003 Pan American Games took place in the outdoor swimming pool at the side of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic...
in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in 2003.
Pereira's biggest success came one year later, when he won the world title in the same event at the 2004 FINA Short Course World Championships
2004 FINA Short Course World Championships
The 7th FINA Short Course World Championships were held at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from October 7 through October 11, 2004.-Freestyle:-Backstroke:-Breaststroke:-Butterfly:-Individual:-Relay:-Metal Table:...
. After that, Pereira won six gold medals in the 2007 Pan American Games
2007 Pan American Games
The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to July 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic Committees competed in 332 events in 34 sports and in...
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, breaking the record of five gold medals won in one Pan American Games edition, held by Mark Spitz
Mark Spitz
Mark Andrew Spitz is a retired American swimmer. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, an achievement only surpassed by Michael Phelps who won eight golds at the 2008 Olympics....
. He also broke the 400 individual medley world record in short course later that same year. A resident of Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country...
he represented his native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens, Greece, where he reached the final of the 200 m IM, finishing in fifth place. In the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing, China, he also reached the final of the 200m IM, finishing fourth.
Pereira is currently the Brazilian athlete with most gold modals won in Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
, 12 in total earned in two editions of the Games, surpassing the previous record of ten gold medals earned in six editions, held by table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
athlete Hugo Hoyama
Hugo Hoyama
Hugo Hoyama is a table tennis player from Brazil, he won several medals in single, double, and team events in the Latin American Table Tennis Championships....
.