Alexandre Massura Neto (born 19 June 1975) is a retired male freestyle and

backstroke Backstroke or back crawl is one of the four Swimming (sport), swimming styles used in competitive events regulated by FINA, and the only one of these styles swum on the back. This swimming style has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disa ...

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

from

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, who competed at two consecutive

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...

for his native country, starting in 1996. Actually a resident of

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

. At the 1995 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) held in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

, Massura won the gold medal in the 4×100-metre freestyle, along with

Gustavo Borges Gustavo França Borges (born 2 December 1972) is a Brazilian former competitive swimming (sport), swimmer. He swam for Brazil in four Summer Olympic Games: Brazil at the 1992 Summer Olympics, 1992, Brazil at the 1996 Summer Olympics, 1996, Braz ...

, Fernando Scherer and André Cordeiro, with a time of 3m12s42. He also swam the 200-metre backstroke. At the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, Massura came close to winning a medal, reaching the 4×100-metre freestyle final, and staying in 4th place. The end of 1998 was marked by the third consecutive

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...

broke by Brazilian relay in the 4×100-metre freestyle, on short course. On 20 December, shortly after the end of Jose Finkel Trophy, the quartet formed by Fernando Scherer, Carlos Jayme, Alexandre Massura and

, in order, fell the pool at

Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama (; English: Vasco da Gama Club of Rowing), commonly referred to as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Although originally a rowing club and then a multi-sport club, Va ...

and they got the 3:10.45 time, that would only be broken in the year 2000 by the team of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

. At the 1999 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m), in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

, Massura reached the final of the 100-metre backstroke, finishing in 5th place. Massura was in the

1999 Pan American Games The 1999 Pan American Games, officially the XIII Pan American Games () or the 13th Pan American Games and commonly known as Winnipeg 1999, were a major international multi-sport event that was held from July 23 to August 8, 1999, in Winnipeg, Ma ...

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. In the 4×100-metre medley, along with

, Fernando Scherer and Marcelo Tomazini, Brazil won the medley relay for the first time in the Pan's history, with a time of 3:40.27, breaking Pan American and South American records, and secure a place in the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

. Massura also won the silver medal in the 100-metre backstroke, beating the South American record with a time of 55.17 seconds. The 4×100-metre medley record just fell in 2006, and the 100-metre backstroke record only dropped with

Thiago Pereira Thiago Machado Vilela Pereira (born 26 January 1986) is a retired Brazilian international competition swimming (sport), swimmer. One of the greatest swimmers in the history of Brazil, Pereira won the silver medal in the 400-meter medley swimmi ...

's bronze at 2007 Pan, in Rio de Janeiro. On 16 December 1999, Massura broke the South American record in the 50-metre backstroke Olympic pool, with a time of 26.00 seconds. The record was only broken in 2007. At the

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, Massura ranked 13th in the 100-metre backstroke, and 12th in the 4×100-metre medley. On 12 November 2000, Massura broke the South American record in the short-course 50-metre backstroke: 24.73 seconds. The record stood until 2007. In 2000, also broke the South American record in the 100-metre backstroke short course, with a time of 52.24 seconds, time that lasted until 2008. At the

2001 World Aquatics Championships The 2001 World Aquatics Championships or the 9th FINA World Swimming Championships were held in Fukuoka, Japan between 16 July and 29 July 2001. The opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the swimming and synchronised swimming events, were ...

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

, he reached the semifinals of the 50-metre and 100-metre backstroke. Massura retired from professional swimming in 2004. Later, he worked in the Department of Sports of the Government of Minas Gerais.

References

UOL Profile

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Massura, Alexandre 1975 births Living people Brazilian male backstroke swimmers Swimmers at the 1996 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1999 Pan American Games Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Olympic swimmers for Brazil Sportspeople from São Bernardo do Campo Brazilian male freestyle swimmers Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) Pan American Games gold medalists for Brazil Pan American Games silver medalists for Brazil Pan American Games gold medalists in swimming Pan American Games silver medalists in swimming Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games 20th-century Brazilian sportsmen

See also

References

External links