Rodrigo Castro


Rodrigo Octávio Coelho da Rocha e Castro is a freestyle swimmer from Brazil, who competed for his native country at three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 2000.

International career

1999

He was at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, where he earned a silver medal in the 4×200-metre freestyle. This silver medal was obtained with a time of 7:22.92, South American record, along with Gustavo Borges, André Cordeiro and Leonardo Costa.

2000 Summer Olympics

Participated in 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where he finished 13th place in the 4×200-metre freestyle, and in 33rd place in the 200-metre freestyle.

2000-2004

At the 2002 FINA World Swimming Championships, in Moscow, he finished 10th in the 200-metre freestyle and 4th in the 4×200-metre freestyle final.
Participating in the 2003 World Aquatics Championships, Castro was 18th in the 200-metre freestyle and 9th in the 4×200-metre freestyle.
At the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Castro won the bronze medal in the 200-metre freestyle and silver in the 4×200-metre freestyle, along with Carlos Jayme, Rafael Mosca and Gustavo Borges.

2004 Summer Olympics

Castro was at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where he finished 9th in the 4×200-metre freestyle, 20th in the 200-metre freestyle, and 12th in the 4×100-metre freestyle.

2004-2008

At the 2004 FINA World Swimming Championships in Indianapolis, he had his best results in Short-Course World Championships. Castro won the bronze medal in the 4×200-metre freestyle, and also was a finalist in the 200-metre freestyle, finishing in 8th place.
Castro was at the 2006 FINA World Swimming Championships, in Shanghai, where he finished 7th in the 200-metre freestyle final and 5th in the 4×200-metre freestyle final
He swam at the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, where he finished 6th in the 4×200-metre freestyle, 14th in the 200-metre freestyle, 23rd in the 100-metre freestyle, and was disqualified at the 4×100-metre freestyle.
Participating in the 2007 World Aquatics Championships, in Melbourne, finished 36th in the 200-metre freestyle and 11th in the 4×200-metre freestyle
At the 2007 Pan American Games, in Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigo Castro won the gold medal in the 4×200-metre freestyle and finished 5th in the 200-metre freestyle.
Participating in the 2008 FINA World Swimming Championships in Manchester, Castro finished 6th place in the 200-metre freestyle final.

2008 Summer Olympics

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, participated in his third Olympics. He was in 16th place in the 200-metre freestyle and 4×200-metre freestyle. He was also in the 4×100-metre freestyle, where the Brazilian team was disqualified. Broke the Gustavo Borges' South American Record in the 200-metre freestyle in olympic pool, which had lasted 10 years, with a time of 1:47.87. After this, thought about end of his career, but officially went swimming.

2008-2012

Participated in the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome, where he finished 30th place in the 200-metre freestyle and 10th in the 4×200-metre freestyle
At the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, he finished 24th in the 200-metre freestyle, 41st in the 100-metre freestyle and 44th in the 50-metre freestyle.
He was at the 2010 FINA World Swimming Championships in Dubai, where he finished 23rd in the 200-metre freestyle and 8th in the 4×200-metre freestyle.
At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, he finished 14th in the 4×200-metre freestyle.

Retirement

In late 2012, Castro, age 33, announced his retirement from swimming.