Fernando de Queiroz Scherer (born October 6, 1974) is a Brazilian former international swimmer. He won the bronze medal in the 50-meter freestyle 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 ...

and another bronze medal four years later in

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 ...

with the Brazilian relay team in the 4×100-meter freestyle. Scherer won his first major title at the inaugural

1993 FINA Short Course World Championships The 1st Short Course Swimming World Championships were organized by FINA and held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, December 2–5, 1993. The meet featured competition in a Short course (swimming), short course (25 meter) pool. During the championship ...

Palma de Mallorca Palma (, ; ), also known as Palma de Mallorca (officially between 1983 and 1988, 2006–2008, and 2012–2016), is the capital and largest city of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is ...

, where he won the 100-meter freestyle. He trained at

The Race Club The Race Club is a swimming club known for training Olympic Games swimmers with its swimming training program that is focused on specific swimming techniques, located in Islamorada, Florida. History The Race Club was founded in 2003 by Gary ...

, a swimming club founded by Olympic swimmers Gary Hall, Jr. and his father, Gary Hall, Sr. as a training group for elite swimmers in preparation for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Scherer is nicknamed ''Xuxa'' in his native country, and he became Brazil's Sportsman of The Year in 1995 after winning one gold and one silver medal at the 1995 FINA Short Course World Championships 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 ...

. Scherer was involved in the organization ''

Cansei Cansei (''I'm tired'') was a protest- movement organized by high-profile society in Brazil about lack of ethics in politics and government in Mensalão scandal and 2006–2007 Brazilian aviation crisis. Cansei failed to get large appeal. Member ...

''. In 2009, he took part in the second season of a reality television program called ''A Fazenda'', where one of his fellow contestants was his future wife, the actress and dancer Sheila Mello. Scherer and Mello married on June 24, 2010, in

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

Beginning

Scherer began swimming when he was a child to help improve his respiratory problems. When he was 14, he participated in his first competitions and trained at the Doze de Agosto club. In 1992, he began to achieve national prominence, winning the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter freestyle in the Brazil Trophy. That day, his friends created a nickname "Xuxa", by which Scherer became widely known because his blond hair resembled that of a children's television presenter with the same name.

International career

1993

At the Brazilian short course championship, the Jose Finkel Trophy in Santos on July 7, 1993, the Brazilian team comprising Fernando Scherer,

Teófilo Ferreira Teófilo Laborne Ferreira (born 2 June 1973 in Belo Horizonte) is a former international freestyle swimmer from Brazil. He participated at the 1992 Summer Olympics for his native country. His best result was the 7th place in the men's 4×200-m ...

José Carlos Souza José Carlos Souza Júnior (born July 13, 1971) is a former international swimmer from Brazil, who participated at the 1992 Summer Olympics for his native country. In 1987, he went to live in the United States. He studied Business Administration ...

and

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 ...

, broke the

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 ...

in the 4×100-meter freestyle with a time of 3:13.97three centiseconds better than the Swedish team record of 3:14.00 from March 19, 1989. On December 5, Brazil again broke the world record, with the same team, with a time of 3:12.11. This mark was achieved at the 1993 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m), in

, where Scherer won his first major titles: the gold in the 100-meter freestyle and in the 4×100-meter freestyle, at 19 years of age and after five years of competitive swimming experience. With this, Scherer was elected as the revelation athlete of Brazil. He also finished eighth in the 50-meter freestyle.

1994

Scherer participated in the

1994 World Aquatics Championships The 1994 FINA World Aquatics Championships were held in Rome, Italy between September 1 and September 11, 1994. Medal table Results Diving ;Men ;Women Open water swimming ;Men ;Women Swimming ;Men ;Women Synchronized swimmi ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, where he won the bronze in the 4×100-meter freestylealong with

, André Teixeira and

. Scherer also finished 10th in the 50-meter freestyle and 14th in the 100-meter freestyle.

1995

In 1995, Scherer signed with

Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; ), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian multi sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea. It was founded and named after the Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro, Flamengo n ...

. He was the first swimmer with signed contract. In March, he competed at the

1995 Pan American Games The 1995 Pan American Games, officially known as the XII Pan American Games () and commonly known as Mar del Plata 1995, were held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, from 12 to 26 March 1995. After 44 years, this was the Pan American Games' first retur ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

, where he became champion of the 50-meter freestyle, two silver medals in 4×100-meter freestyle and 4×200-meter freestyle, and bronze in the 100-meter freestyle. He was named the ''Brazilian Athlete of the Year'' in 1995, after winning two gold medals in the 100-meter freestyle and 4×100-meter freestyle at the 1995 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in

. In the 4×100-meter freestyle, he opened with a time of 47.74 seconds in the heats and a time of 47.63 seconds in the finala South American and Championship record. He also won a silver medal in the 50-meter freestyle.

1996

At the

, in

, Scherer earned a bronze medal in the 50-metre freestyle, came 5th in the 100-metre freestyle and 4th in the 4×100-metre freestyle.

1997

1997 was a bad year for Scherer. He could not swim competitively for six months after experiencing problems in his left shoulder and both knees caused after the Olympics. He competed in the

1997 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) The 3rd FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) were an international swimming meet organized by FINA. It was held at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden April 17−20, 1997; and featured 501 swimmers from 71 nations. Competing nations The ...

, where he finished 13th in the 100-meter freestyle, and 20th in the 50-meter freestyle.

1998

In 1998, Scherer moved to

Coral Springs Coral Springs is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 134,394. Approximately northwest of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, it is a pri ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. He swam at the

1998 World Aquatics Championships The 8th FINA World Championships or the 1998 World Aquatics Championships were held from 8 to 17 January 1998 in Perth, Western Australia. The championships features competition in all five of FINA's disciplines: Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, ...

, in

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, Australia, where he finished eighth in the 50-meter freestyle, 17th in the 100-meter freestyle and sixth in the 4×100-meter freestyle. In August in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, at the

Goodwill Games The Goodwill Games were an international sports competition created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. In 1979, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused the United States and other ...

, Scherer broke the South American record for the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 22.18 seconds, that would only be broken in 2007 by

César Cielo César Augusto Cielo Filho (, born 10 January 1987) is a Brazilian former competitive swimmer who specialized in sprint events. He is the most successful Brazilian swimmer in history, having obtained three Olympic medals, winning six individu ...

. He also broke the 100-metre freestyle record with a time of 48.69 seconds, which was unbroken until 2006, also by Cielo. With that, Scherer attained first place in the world rankings in both events; he was awarded the title of "World's Best" by Swimworld magazine, and for the second time the best Brazilian athlete, by COB. At this time, the world record for the 50-meter freestyle was 21.81 seconds, set by

Tom Jager Thomas Michael Jager (born October 6, 1964) is an American former competition swimmer. He is five-time Olympic gold medalist in relay events, a two-time World Championship individual gold medalist for the 50-meter freestyle, and a former world ...

; the 100-meter freestyle world record was 48.21 seconds, set by Alexander Popov. At the end of 1998, Scherer broke the third consecutive

by a Brazilian relay team in the 4×100-meter freestyle on short course. On December 20, shortly after the end of Jose Finkel Trophy, the team of Scherer, Carlos Jayme,

Alexandre Massura Alexandre Massura Neto (born 19 June 1975) is a retired male freestyle and backstroke swimmer from Brazil, who competed at two consecutive Summer Olympics for his native country, starting in 1996. Actually a resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota. ...

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 recorded a time of 3:10.45; a record which would be broken in 2000 by the Swedish team. In this competition, Scherer had also broken the short-course South American records in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 21.44 seconds, the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 47.17 seconds, and the Brazilian record in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 53.13 seconds. In the 50-meter freestyle, Scherer was 0.13 seconds slower than Mark Foster's

of 21.31 seconds, obtained on December 13. He also came close to the

in the 100-meter freestyle of 46.74 seconds set by Popov in 1994. Scherer was also elected Best Swimmer in the World, in 1998, by

FINA World Aquatics, formerly known as FINA (; ), is the international federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administering international competitions in List of water sports, water sports. It is one of several interna ...

1999

In March 1999, Scherer broke the South American record for the 50-meter butterfly twice in one week. Also this year, Scherer participated 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 ...

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, in which Brazil achieved its best swimming results of all time. The Brazilian 4×100-meter medley relay team of

, Marcelo Tomazini,

and Scherer won the race for the first time in the Pan's history, with a time of 3:40.27, breaking the Pan American and South American records and securing 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 ...

. Scherer also won the gold in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, and 4×100-meter freestyle and broke the South American record for the latter race, becoming the first Brazilian to win four gold medals in the same Pan American Games.

2000

This year, Scherer forwent all competitions to prepare for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. However, after an accident on the stairs of his house he sprained an ankle and partially tore the ligament, almost costing him the Games. Although his injury affected his performancehe hardly used his legs, Scherer won the bronze in the 4×100-meter freestyle and participated in two other heats, ranking 12th in the 4×100-meter medley and 20th in the 50-meter freestyle.

2002

In 2002, Scherer returned to Brazil and moved to São Paulo.

2003

At the

2003 World Aquatics Championships The 10th FINA World Aquatics Championships were held July 12–27, 2003 in Barcelona, Spain. The championships featured competition in all 5 of FINA's disciplines: Swimming, Diving, Synchronised swimming, Water Polo, and Open Water Swimming. ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

, Scherer broke his own South American record in the 50-meters butterfly with a time of 23.86 seconds. He went to the final, finishing in 8th. He also finished 23rd in the 50-meter freestyle, and 12th in the 4×100-meter freestyle. At the age of 29, Scherer competed in his third Pan American Games in

Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...

, where he helped Brazil win 21 medals in swimmingBrazil's all-time record. Scherer won the gold in the 50-meter freestyle, beating the Olympic champion Gary Hall Jr. and world champion

José Meolans José Martin Meolans (born June 22, 1978 in Cordoba, Argentina, Córdoba) is a Freestyle swimming, freestyle swimmer from Argentina, who won the world title in the 50 metre freestyle at the 2002 FINA Short Course World Championships in Moscow, Mo ...

, and gold in the 4×100-meter freestyle.

2004

In May, Scherer equaled his South American record of 23.86 seconds in the 50-meter butterfly. At the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

, he swam just one race, ranking 11th in the 50-meter freestyle.

2005

Now 30 years old, Scherer competed in the

2005 World Aquatics Championships The 2005 World Aquatics Championships () or the XI FINA World Championships were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from July 16 to July 31, 2005. They took place in Parc Jean-Drapeau on Saint Helen's Island. Competition Medal standings :''o ...

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, where on June 24, he broke the South American record in the 50-meter butterfly in the semifinals with a time of 23.55 seconds, a record that was beaten in 2009 by

. Scherer finished fifth in the final. He also finished in 24th place in the 50-meter freestyle.

2007

In 2007, Scherer retired from competitive swimming.

Records

Fernando Scherer is the former holder of the following records:

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Scherer, Fernando 1974 births Living people Brazilian people of German descent Brazilian male butterfly swimmers Olympic swimmers for Brazil Swimmers at the 1995 Pan American Games Swimmers at the 1996 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1999 Pan American Games Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 2003 Pan American Games Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics Olympic bronze medalists for Brazil World record setters in swimming Olympic bronze medalists in swimming Brazilian male freestyle swimmers World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Pan American Games gold medalists for Brazil Pan American Games gold medalists in swimming Summer World University Games medalists in swimming Goodwill Games medalists in swimming Sportspeople from Florianópolis FISU World University Games gold medalists for Brazil FISU World University Games silver medalists for Brazil Medalists at the 1995 Summer Universiade Competitors at the 1998 Goodwill Games Competitors at the 2001 Goodwill Games Medalists at the 1995 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games 20th-century Brazilian sportsmen