Carol Santiago is one of Brazil’s biggest names in paralympic swimming today. The athlete was born with Morning Glory syndrome, which reduces her field of vision, and began swimming as part of her treatment. Over the years, therapy became a profession and today Carol is the world record holder in the 50m freestyle.
As you can see below, the athlete has an extensive list of titles and medals, including gold in Tokyo 2020 in three events: 50m, 100m freestyle and 100m breaststroke, as well as silver and bronze medals, making her Brazil’s top medalist in this edition of the Games.
Carol Santiago is one of the great names in world paralympic swimming, representing Brazil with excellence in the most prestigious competitions on the planet.
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Who is Carol Santiago?
Carolina Santiago is a Brazilian Paralympic swimmer, competing in the S12 class for athletes with low vision. Carol won the 50m and 100m freestyle and the 100m breaststroke, winning the gold medal three times at the 2020 Paralympic Games. She also won a silver and a bronze, making her Brazil’s biggest medal winner in Tokyo.
In 2024, the athlete will once again represent Brazil and is one of our country’s great medal hopes.
Carol is known for her dedication, determination and competitive spirit.
In addition to her sporting career, she is an active advocate for the rights of people with disabilities and uses her space to promote inclusion and accessibility in sport.
What is Carol Santiago’s story?
Carol Santiago was born with Morning Glory syndrome , which reduces her field of vision due to the degeneration of the macula, a crucial area of the retina. Despite her difficulties, she has always been passionate about sport and has found swimming as a way of expressing her talent.
Carol started swimming as a child, as part of her visual rehabilitation. Gradually, she discovered her natural talent for the sport and began competing in regional and national events.
In 2019, she made a name for herself on the international stage when she won her first medals at the world championships, both at the Lima Parapan American Games and the London World Championships.
At the 2019 World Championships, she won gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle and silver in the 100m backstroke and 4x100m freestyle relay.
At Parapan, she won gold in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 400m freestyle. That’s right, four gold medals!
But that was nothing for our athlete who, four years later, at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games, won no less than five events, securing gold in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly and the 4x100m medley and 4x100m freestyle relays.
The athlete is currently world champion in the following Paralympic swimming disciplines:
- 100m backstroke
- 100m butterfly
- 100m freestyle
- 50m freestyle
- 4x100m medley relay.
It’s clear to see why we can expect great things from our Carol Santiago in upcoming competitions, isn’t it?
Carol Santiago’s main titles
- Gold in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly and the 4x100m medley relay 49 points and 4x100m freestyle relay 49 points at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games
- Gold in the 100m backstroke, 100m butterfly, 100m freestyle, 50m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay, silver in the 100m breaststroke and bronze in the 200m medley relay and 4x100m medley relay at the World Championships in Manchester 2023
- Gold in the 100m butterfly, 100m breaststroke, 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay and silver in the 100m backstroke at the World Championships in Madeira Island 2022
- Gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle and 100m breaststroke, silver in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay 49 points, bronze in the 100m backstroke at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games
- Gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle and silver in the 100m backstroke and 4x100m freestyle relay 49 points at the London 2019 World Championships
- Gold in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 400m freestyle at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games.
What records does Carol Santiago hold?
Carol Santiago has an impressive list of records in her career. She is the current world record holder for the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter backstroke in the S12 class. Carol also holds national records for various distances, cementing her position as one of the greatest swimmers in Brazilian history.
At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Carol made history by winning five medals, including three gold.
She also set new Paralympic records during the competition, solidifying her reputation as one of Brazil’s biggest names in Paralympic swimming today.
In which events does she compete in paralympic swimming?
As you may have noticed, Carol Santiago is a very complete athlete in the pools, with medals in different disciplines.
The swimmer competes in several Paralympic swimming events, standing out in the following categories:
- 50 meter freestyle (S12)
- 100 meter freestyle (S12)
- 100 meters backstroke (S12)
- 100 meter butterfly (S12)
- 200 meter medley (SM12)
Each of these events requires a high level of technique, strength and endurance, qualities that Carol possesses in abundance. Her versatility in the pools is one of her greatest strengths, allowing her to excel in different styles of swimming.
What was her start in Paralympic swimming like?
Carol Santiago’s start in Paralympic swimming was marked by discovering her athletic potential and overcoming the challenges imposed by her visual impairment.
As a child, she began swimming on medical advice, as part of her treatment.
However, what began as a therapeutic activity soon turned into a passion.
Carol began to train more seriously as her eyesight deteriorated.
After a few years competing in conventional events, in 2017, the athlete made the transition to paralympic swimming, where she found her true place, with even more security and competitiveness.
Since 2019, when she began representing Brazil internationally, she has stood on the podium 33 times. In addition to thefive Paralympic Games and nine Parapan golds, in the world championships, the record is even more impressive, with 13 gold, four silver and two bronze medals.
Curiosities about Carol Santiago
Carol Santiago is not only an exceptional swimmer, but also a fascinating figure outside the pools. Here are some interesting facts about her:
- Carol is an active advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. She takes part in campaigns to raise awareness about inclusion and accessibility, and often uses her platform to talk about the importance of creating opportunities for everyone in sport.
- Outside of the pools, Carol has a passion for music. She loves listening to different genres of music, especially MPB (Brazilian Popular Music), and uses music as a way of relaxing and concentrating before competitions.
- In addition to her medals and records, Carol has received several awards for her achievements in sport, including the Paralympic Award, which celebrates the best Brazilian Paralympic athletes. She was also nominated for the Laureus World Sports Awards, one of the highest honors in world sport.
With such talent and dedication, Carol Santiago deserves all our support!
She is an example of overcoming, talent and determination. Her life story and her achievements in the pools make her one of the biggest names in Paralympic sport worldwide.
With impressive records, a captivating personality and a commitment to inclusion, Carol continues to inspire millions of people around the world, showing that with opportunity, dedication and passion, it is possible to overcome any obstacle and achieve success.
Now that you know more about Carol Santiago’s story, take the opportunity to find out all about the careers of other Brazilian sporting idols:
- Petrucio Ferreira: titles and records of the paralympic athlete
- Gabriel Araújo: career of the multi-champion paralympic swimmer
- TOP 10 Best paralympic athletes in Brazil today: strong names for the Olympic podium
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