Stephan Alexander De Freitas Steverink (born 27 February 2004) is a Brazilian competitive swimmer. He won the gold medal in the 400-metre freestyle and the silver medal in the 400-metre individual medley at the 2022 World Junior Championships. At the 2021 Junior Pan American Games, he won a gold medal in the 4×200-metre freestyle relay, silver medals in the 800-metre freestyle, 400-metre individual medley and 4×100-metre medley relay, as well as a bronze medal in the 1500-metre freestyle.
Background Steverink was born 27 February 2004 to a Brazilian mother and a Dutch father and holds citizenship of Brazil and the Netherlands."Stephan Steverink". FINA. Retrieved 31 August 2022.Lord, Craig (4 February 2020). "Stephan Steverink: The Boy From Brazil With A Dutch Double Decision & A Paris 2024 Gold". Swimming World. Retrieved 31 August 2022. He trains and competes for CR Flamengo, continuing with the sports club through the 2024 Summer Olympics and changing his training base to Rio de Janeiro in 2023.Petry, Helena (8 January 2023). "Stephan Steverink renova contrato com o Flamengo ENS até Paris-2024" (in Portuguese). CR Flamengo. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
Career 2019–2021 In 2019, Steverink won medals at national age group competitions in both Brazil and Netherlands as part of figuring out which country to represent in international competitions.Keith, Braden (5 December 2019). "15-Year-Old Stephan Steverink Adds 4:21 In 400 IM To Big Results In Brazil". SwimSwam. Retrieved 31 August 2022. Two years later, as part of swimming at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games held in Cali, Colombia, he won the gold medal in the 4×200-metre freestyle relay, the silver medal in the 800-metre freestyle with a 8:02.64, the silver medal in the 400-metre individual medley with a 4:24.35, a silver medal in the 4×100-metre medley relay, the bronze medal in the 1500-metre freestyle with a 15:34.41, and placed eighth in the b-final of the 200-metre individual medley with a 2:25.26."Cali Valle 2021: Stephan Alexander De Freitas Steverink" (in Spanish). Panam Sports. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
2022 For the 2022 South American Youth Games, held in Rosario, Argentina in April and May, Steverink won a total of four golds medals, one each in the 400-metre freestyle, 1500-metre freestyle, 200-metre individual medley, and the 4×100-metre freestyle relay, as well as a silver medal in the 200-metre breaststroke."Rosario 2022: De Freitas Steverink Stephan Alexander". ODESUR. Retrieved 11 September 2022."Stephan Steverink projeta nadar até três provas nos Jogos de Paris" (in Portuguese). olimpiadatododia.com.br. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022. At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, held at Danube Arena in June and July in Budapest, Hungary, Steverink placed sixteenth in the 400-metre individual medley with a time of 4:19.09.FINA (18 June 2022). "19th FINA World Championships Budapest (HUN): Men's 400m Individual Medley Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
2022 World Junior Championships
For the preliminaries of the 400-metre freestyle on day one of the 2022 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, held in Lima, Peru, Steverink ranked first with a time of 3:50.24 and qualified for the final.FINA (30 August 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 400m Freestyle Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 31 August 2022. In the evening final, he won the gold medal with a personal best time of 3:48.27, finishing less than two-tenths of a second ahead of silver medalist Vlad Stancu of Romania.FINA (30 August 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 400m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 31 August 2022.Chaves, Lincoln (30 August 2022). "Revelação brasileira conquista ouro no Mundial Júnior de natação" (in Portuguese). Agência Brasil. Retrieved 31 August 2022.de Barros, Adielson (30 August 2022). "Stephan Steverink é ouro dos 400m livre do Mundial Júnior" (in Portuguese). olimpiadatododia.com.br. Retrieved 31 August 2022."Stephan Steverink briga até o fim e é campeão Mundial Jr nos 400m livre" (in Portuguese). Brazilian Confederation of Aquatic Sports. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022."Stephan Steverink é campeão sundial júnior de natação" (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022. With his win, he became the first male Brazilian swimmer to win a medal in the 400-metre freestyle at a FINA World Junior Swimming Championships and he won the first medal for Brazil at the 2022 Championships."Histórico! Stephan Steverink é ouro no Mundial Júnior de natação" (in Portuguese). Lance!. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022. On the third day of competition, he placed sixth in the 800-metre freestyle with a time of 8:01.21.FINA (1 September 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 800m Freestyle Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 1 September 2022.Oliviera, Natália (1 September 2022). "Brasil chega perto do pódio no Mundial Júnior de Natação" (in Portuguese). surtoolimpico.com.br. Retrieved 1 September 2022. The next day, he led-off the 4×200-metre freestyle relay in the final with a personal best time of 1:49.02, contributing to a fourth-place finish in 7:20.13, which was just 0.20 seconds slower than the bronze medal-winning team from Poland.FINA (2 September 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 4x200m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
On the fifth morning, Steverink ranked second in the preliminary heats of the 400-metre individual medley, behind Riku Yamaguchi of Japan, with a time of 4:22.29.FINA (3 September 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 400m Individual Medley Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 3 September 2022. In the evening final, he lowered his time to a 4:17.68 and won the silver medal.FINA (3 September 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 400m Individual Medley Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 3 September 2022.Silva, Regys (3 September 2022). "Stephan Steverink é prata e Revezamento 4x100m Livres feminino é bronze no Mundial Junior de Natação" (in Portuguese). surtoolimpico.com.br. Retrieved 3 September 2022. The following, and final, day, he placed fourth in the 1500-metre freestyle with a time of 15:23.83, which was less than six seconds slower than bronze medalist Vlad Stancu.FINA (4 September 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 1500m Freestyle Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
2022 U.S. Open Championships Competing representing Brazil at the 2022 U.S. Open Swimming Championships, starting on 30 November in Greensboro, United States, Steverink won the bronze medal in the 800-metre freestyle with a time of 8:01.80, sharing the podium with fellow Brazilian and gold medalist Guilherme Costa and Venezuelan and silver medalist Alfonso Mestre.USA Swimming (30 November 2022). "2022 Toyota U.S. Open Championships: Men's 800m Freestyle Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 30 November 2022. The second day, he placed fifth in the 400-metre freestyle with a time of 3:51.60.USA Swimming (1 December 2022). "2022 Toyota U.S. Open Championships: Men's 400m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 1 December 2022. On the third evening, he finished in a time of 4:21.53 in the final of the 400-metre individual medley to place seventh.USA Swimming (2 December 2022). "2022 Toyota U.S. Open Championships: Men's 400m Individual Medley Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
2023 At the 2023 Brazil National Swimming Championships in Recife, Steverink started off with a silver medal on day one (30 May) in the 400-metre freestyle, finishing second in a time of 3:50.79.Time Brasil (30 May 2023). "Troféu Brasil de Natação 2023 - Dia 1 - Finais" (in Portuguese; time stamp, 42:52 to 55:27). YouTube. Retrieved 31 May 2023. He followed up with a silver medal in the 1500-metre freestyle the following day with a time of 15:20.20.Time Brasil (31 May 2023). "Troféu Brasil de Natação 2023 - Dia 2 - Finais" (in Portuguese; time stamp, 1:02:50 to 1:27:04). YouTube. Retrieved 31 May 2023. On day four, he finished in a 2023 World Aquatics Championships qualifying time of 4:17.26 in the final of the 400-metre individual medley, winning the gold medal.Time Brasil (2 June 2023). "Troféu Brasil de Natação 2023 - Dia 4 - Finais" (in Portuguese; time stamp, 1:42:27 to 1:57:14). YouTube. Retrieved 2 June 2023. The fifth and final day, he won the bronze medal in the 800-metre freestyle with a final mark of 8:03.00.Time Brasil (3 June 2023). "Troféu Brasil de Natação 2023 - Dia 5 - Finais" (in Portuguese; time stamp, 1:44:31 to 2:01:21). YouTube. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
International championships Meet400 free800 free1500 free200 breast200 medley400 medley4×100 free4×200 free4×100 medley Junior level PANJ 2021(age: 17) (8:02.64) (15:34.41) 8th (b)(2:25.26) (4:24.35) (7:24.22) (3:44.19) SAYG 2022(age: 18) (3:51.36) (15:17.25) (2:18.81) (2:04.93) (h - 3:37.23) WJC 2022(age: 18) (3:48.27) 6th(8:01.21) 4th(15:23.83) (4:17.68) 4th(7:20.13) Senior level WC 2022(age: 18) 16th(4:19.09) Steverink swam only in the preliminary heats.
Personal best times Long course metres (50 m pool) Event Time Meet Location Date Ref 200 m freestyle 1:49.02 r 2022 World Junior Championships Lima, Peru 2 September 2022 400 m freestyle 3:48.27 2022 World Junior Championships Lima, Peru 30 August 2022 800 m freestyle 7:57.70 2022 Brazil Swimming Trophy Rio de Janeiro 7 April 2022 1500 m freestyle 15:14.86 2022 Brazil Swimming Trophy Rio de Janeiro 9 April 2022 400 m individual medley 4:16.44 2022 Brazil Swimming Trophy Rio de Janeiro 4 April 2022 Legend: r – relay 1st leg
Awards and honours Brazilian Olympic Committee, Year-end Junior Athletes Retrospective, highlight: 2022"Retrospectiva 2022: natação se destaca e comanda medalhas do Brasil em Mundiais Juniors no ano" (in Portuguese). Brazilian Olympic Committee. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023. Olimpíada Todo Dia, Youth Athletes Retrospective, highlight: 2022Nagime, Mateus (24 December 2022). "Retrospectiva Olímpica: atletas de base do Time Brasil em 2022" (in Portuguese). olimpiadatododia.com.br. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
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