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Pereira's Last Test Before Istanbul Decision

Nov 7, 2012

News Round-Up:

Brazil: Olympic 400m medley silver medallist Thiago Pereira will use the São Paulo Torneio Open de Natação, starting in Guaratinguetá today to judge whether he is in shape to take on the World Short-Course Championships in Istanbul next month. The Open in Sao Paulo will serve as time trials before Brazil names its final team for Istanbul. Among those already qualified is sprinter Cesar Cielo, but the Olympic bronze medallist over 50m free has already announced that he will bypass the short-course event to focus on trying to retain his two dash titles, free and 'fly, at the more prestigious World long-course championships in Barcelona when every nation sends of its best next July. Pereira may go the same way as Cielo, telling a news agency in Brazil: "I've still not decided if I'll go to Istanbul. This year has been exhausting because of the Olympic Games and it wouldn't be a bad ideas to have a rest and start the 2013 season on full power. That said, my times in training have surprised me." His other purpose in racing this week is to help his club Corinthians win the team trophy.

France: Sprinters Alain Bernard and Fabien Gilot are taking on roles as TV pundits on swimming in France. Bernard, the 2008 100m freestyle Olympic champion who retired after London 2012, will work with Eurosport for a year, while Gilot, 4x100m freestyle champion with teammates at London 2012, will provide a swimmer's view for France Télévisions during the European short-course championships in Chartres from November 22-25.