Ricardo Prado

Ricardo Prado

Ricardo Prado, 2013
Personal information
Full name	Ricardo Prado
Nationality	Brazilian
Born	(1965-01-03) 3 January 1965 (age 52) Andradina, SP, Brazil
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight	56 kg (123 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Medley and backstroke
Medal record Men's swimming Representing  Brazil Olympic Games 1984 Los Angeles 400 m medley World Championships 1982 Guayaquil 400 m medley Pan American Games 1983 Caracas 200 m medley 1983 Caracas 400 m medley 1983 Caracas 200 m backstroke 1983 Caracas 200 m butterfly 1987 Indianapolis 200 m backstroke 1987 Indianapolis 200 m medley 1987 Indianapolis 4x100 m medley Pan Pacific Games 1985 Tokyo 400 m medley 1985 Tokyo 200 m butterfly Summer Universiade 1985 Kobe 400 m medley 1983 Edmonton 200 m medley 1983 Edmonton 400 m medley 1985 Kobe 200 m medley

Ricardo Prado (born 3 January 1965 in Andradina, São Paulo, Brazil) is an Olympic and former World Record holding medley swimmer from Brazil. He was one of the greatest swimmers in the history of Brazil and the best Brazilian swimmer in the 1980s.

At just 14 years old, he participated at the 1979 Pan American Games, in San Juan, where he finished seventh in the 400-metre individual medley, and eighth in the 200-metre individual medley.

Prado participated in the 1980 Summer Olympics, in Moscow. He swam the 400-metre individual medley and the 100-metre backstroke, not reaching the final.

On 8 August 1982, at the 1982 World Aquatics Championships in Guayaquil, Prado won a gold medal in the 400-metre individual medley, with a time of 4:19.78, establishing a new world record that stood until 23 May 1984. Prado was also in four other finals: placing fourth in the 200-metre butterfly (beating the South American record), and eighth in the 200-metre individual medley, the 200-metre backstroke, and the 4×100-metre medley. Prado had chances to earn a good result also in the 200-metre individual medley, but the conditions were adverse in Ecuador. "The hotel we stayed at was not well attended. It was directly across [from] the Guayaquil bus station. I managed to reach the final of the 200-metre individual medley, but I was weak because food there was terrible, and finished the race in eighth place." Prado landed at home with gold on his neck but a big mycosis in his belly. Djan Madruga had worse luck: he contracted typhoid fever.

At the 1983 Summer Universiade, in Edmonton, Prado won two bronze medals: in the 200-metre and 400-metre individual medley races. He also finished fourth in the 200-metre backstroke, and sixth in the 200-metre butterfly.