Sports
Ricardo Prado Denies Offer to Swim for Team USA
The Olympic medalist reveals the naturalization rumor was an agent strategy to attract sponsors in Brazil.
In an interview on the Natação Stemma podcast, Olympic medalist Ricardo Prado clarified the famous story about an alleged offer to compete for the US national team. The swimmer explained that it was merely a behind-the-scenes bluff designed to attract Brazilian sponsors.
During an appearance on the Natação Stemma podcast, Olympic medalist Ricardo Prado put an end to one of the most talked-about rumors in Brazilian aquatic sports: the alleged official invitation to become a naturalized US citizen and compete for the United States.
PUBLICIDADE (GAM) — 1250x250
Routine abroad and the origin of the bluff
Prado recalled moving to the United States when he was just 15 years old. At the time, he split his routine between high school classes and grueling training sessions that reached up to 20 kilometers of swimming a day. Modest financial support came from his family while he faced logistical challenges, sleepless nights, and the long wait for CBDA flight tickets to travel to competitions.
Facing a lack of sponsorship and the prospect of competing for Olympic medals, businessman and former Club Athletico Paulistano athlete Fernando Sandoval took on the role of Prado's representative to help secure financial resources during his amateur years.
Strategy to draw attention in Brazil
Realizing that Prado had a genuine shot at the podium but was not receiving adequate attention or funding in Brazil, Sandoval decided to manufacture a rumor that the Americans were eager to recruit the Brazilian swimmer.
According to Prado, his agent instructed him to back the story publicly in an effort to rally national sports officials and sponsors. However, the swimmer noted that the claim was practically improbable, as the United States team had always possessed an abundance of elite swimming talent. While it generated buzz at the time, the strategy yielded little practical result.
Gratitude and early dedication
Despite the stunt's limited impact, Prado reaffirmed his deep gratitude to Fernando Sandoval—who passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic—describing him as a pivotal father figure who helped sustain his international career.
The swimmer also reflected on the intensity of his early development: by age 12, he was already on the Brazilian youth national team, and at 13, he attended a swim clinic with 60 athletes in Miami. While most participants gave up during the three-a-day training sessions, Prado seized the opportunity to shave ten seconds off his 200-meter time, cementing the mindset that ultimately propelled him to the pinnacle of the sport.
PUBLICIDADE (GAM) — 1250x250
