César Cielo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
César Cielo

Cielo after winning the 50 m freestyle at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Cesão
Born	(1987-01-10) 10 January 1987 (age 38) Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, São Paulo, Brazil
Height	1.95 m
Weight	80 kg
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle, butterfly
Club	Marcílio Dias
College team	Auburn University
Medal record Men's swimming Representing  Brazil Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 0 2 World Championships (LC) 6 1 0 World Championships (SC) 5 1 6 Pan Pacific Championships 1 1 1 Pan American Games 7 1 0 Total 20 4 9 Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing 50 m freestyle Bronze 2008 Beijing 100 m freestyle Bronze 2012 London 50 m freestyle World Championships (LC) Gold 2009 Rome 50 m freestyle Gold 2009 Rome 100 m freestyle Gold 2011 Shanghai 50 m freestyle Gold 2011 Shanghai 50 m butterfly Gold 2013 Barcelona 50 m freestyle Gold 2013 Barcelona 50 m butterfly Silver 2017 Budapest 4×100 m freestyle World Championships (SC) Gold 2010 Dubai 50 m freestyle Gold 2010 Dubai 100 m freestyle Gold 2014 Doha 100 m freestyle Gold 2014 Doha 4×50 m medley Gold 2014 Doha 4×100 m medley Silver 2004 Indianapolis 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2010 Dubai 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2010 Dubai 4×100 m medley Bronze 2014 Doha 50 m freestyle Bronze 2014 Doha 4×50 m mixed freestyle Bronze 2018 Hangzhou 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2018 Hangzhou 4×50 m medley Pan Pacific Championships Gold 2010 Irvine 50 m butterfly Silver 2010 Irvine 50 m freestyle Bronze 2010 Irvine 100 m freestyle Pan American Games Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro 50 m freestyle Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro 100 m freestyle Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2011 Guadalajara 50 m freestyle Gold 2011 Guadalajara 100 m freestyle Gold 2011 Guadalajara 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2011 Guadalajara 4×100 m medley Silver 2007 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m medley

César Augusto Cielo Filho (born January 10, 1987) is a famous Brazilian swimmer. He was known for his amazing speed in short races. César is the most successful Brazilian swimmer ever. He has won three Olympic medals and six gold medals at the FINA World Aquatics Championships. He also broke two world records!

Cielo still holds the world record for the 50-meter freestyle in a long pool. In September 2023, he was honored by being added to the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He is the third Brazilian swimmer to receive this special award.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, César won a gold medal in the 50-meter freestyle. This was Brazil's first and only Olympic swimming gold medal! He also set new records in college swimming. He was named NCAA Swimmer of the Year two years in a row.

César's Early Life and Training

César Cielo was born in Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, São Paulo, Brazil. His dad was a doctor and his mom was a physical education teacher. César started swimming at local clubs when he was young.

When he was 13, he trained in Piracicaba. At 16, he moved to Esporte Clube Pinheiros in São Paulo. There, he trained with famous Brazilian swimmer Gustavo Borges. Gustavo even gave César a swimsuit he wore in the Athens 2004 Olympics!

César was friends with André Schultz when they were kids. Their dads helped organize swimming at their club. They even built an Olympic-sized pool in André's backyard where César would train. César really hated to lose! He studied videos of famous swimmers like Alexander Popov to learn their techniques.

César first competed in backstroke. He often lost to Guilherme Guido in freestyle races. But then, Guido started losing in freestyle and switched to backstroke, beating César. So, César decided to focus on freestyle instead. After training in Florida, USA, he came back and finally beat Guido in a 100m freestyle race.

College Swimming Career

In 2005, César got a scholarship to Auburn University in the United States. He studied international trade and Spanish. He swam for the Auburn Tigers team, which had won many national championships.

His coach at Auburn was Brett Hawke, an Australian Olympic swimmer. Brett helped César get ready for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. César also got advice from Brazilian swimmer Fernando Scherer.

César set records at Auburn for the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle races. He won six national championships, including both the 50 and 100 freestyle in 2007. César decided to become a professional swimmer before his last year of college.

César's International Swimming Journey

Nicholas Santos and Cielo at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro

Starting on the World Stage (2004-2007)

César's first big international competition was in October 2004. He was 17 and won a silver medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. He also set a South American record in another relay.

In 2006, he swam in Shanghai and almost won a medal in the 100-meter freestyle. He also broke a South American record in the 100-meter freestyle that had stood since 1998.

At the 2007 World Aquatics Championships in Melbourne, César was very close to winning medals. He finished 4th in the 100-meter freestyle, just a tiny bit behind the bronze medalist. He also broke more South American records.

At the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, César was amazing! He won three gold medals in the 50-meter, 100-meter, and 4×100-meter freestyle races. He also won a silver medal. He became the first South American swimmer to finish the 50-meter freestyle in under 22 seconds.

Olympic Gold and World Records (2008-2009)

Cielo at the 2009 US National Championships in Indianapolis

In 2008, César kept breaking his own South American records. Then came the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He set an Americas record in a relay race. In the 100-meter freestyle, he won a bronze medal and broke another South American record.

Before the 50-meter freestyle final, César famously said, "Now I'm going to win the 50m!" And he did! He set a new Olympic record and won the gold medal. He was just 0.02 seconds away from the world record. This made him Brazil's first Olympic swimming champion!

In 2009, César broke more South American records in the 50-meter butterfly and 100-meter freestyle.

Cielo broke the world record in the 100-metre freestyle at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome.

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome, César was incredible. He helped Brazil finish 4th in a relay, setting a South American record. Then, in the 100-meter freestyle final, he won the gold medal and broke the world record with a time of 46.91 seconds! He became one of the few swimmers to win Olympic gold, World Championship gold, and set a world record.

He also won gold in the 50-meter freestyle, setting a new Americas record. Brazil had its best World Championship performance ever thanks to César's two gold medals. In December 2009, César broke the world record in the 50-meter freestyle again, with an amazing time of 20.91 seconds. This was done using special "super-suits" that were allowed at the time.

New Challenges and More Wins (2010-2012)

In 2010, César changed clubs. He wanted to help swimming grow in Rio de Janeiro. He proved he could still be the best even without the special super-suits. He won the Paris Open 50-meter freestyle wearing only regular shorts.

At the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, he won gold in the 50-meter butterfly. He also won silver and bronze in other races. In December 2010, at the Short Course World Championships in Dubai, César won two more gold medals in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle. He also won two bronze medals in relays. He became the world champion in both the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle in both long and short pools.

In May 2011, a test showed an unexpected substance in César's system. He said it was from a contaminated supplement. The swimming organization, FINA, looked into it. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decided that it was an accidental contamination and not an attempt to cheat. So, César was allowed to compete.

At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, César won gold in the 50-meter butterfly and the 50-meter freestyle. He finished 4th in the 100-meter freestyle, very close to a medal.

At the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, César won four gold medals! He set new Pan-American records in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle, and a relay.

In 2011, César started a project called P.R.O. 16 to help other Brazilian swimmers train for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Cielo at the 2012 Summer Olympics

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, César finished 6th in the 100-meter freestyle. In the 50-meter freestyle, he was a favorite to win gold. He won a bronze medal, his third Olympic medal. His Olympic record from 2008 still stood.

Later in 2012, César had surgery on both his knees. He had been dealing with knee pain since 2007, which was affecting his training and performance. The surgery helped him recover.

Comeback and More Records (2013-2014)

In 2013, César got a new coach, Scott Goodrich. He qualified for the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona for the 50-meter freestyle and 50-meter butterfly. Because of his knee surgery, he didn't compete in the 100-meter freestyle or relays.

At the World Championships, César won gold in the 50-meter butterfly, becoming a two-time world champion in that event. Then, in the 50-meter freestyle, he won gold again! This made him the first three-time world champion in that event. He said this gold medal was the most important of his career because of all he had overcome.

In 2014, César continued to perform well. He had the best times of the year in the 50-meter freestyle and 50-meter butterfly at a competition in São Paulo.

At the 2014 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in Doha, Qatar, César had an amazing performance. He won three gold medals and two bronze medals. Brazil won the competition for the first time ever! In one relay, his team, called the "Dream Team," broke the world record. He also won gold in the 100-meter freestyle and another gold in a medley relay, setting a South American record.

Later Career and Retirement (2015-2018)

Cielo in the 50-metre butterfly final at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.

César didn't compete in the 2015 Pan American Games to focus on the World Championships. At the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, he was dealing with shoulder pain. He still competed in the 50-meter butterfly but finished 6th. He had to leave the competition early because his injury got worse.

In April 2016, César tried to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics but didn't make the team.

At the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, César and his team won a historic silver medal in the 4 × 100 meter freestyle relay. This was Brazil's best result ever in that race at the World Championships. He also finished 8th in the 50-meter freestyle.

In 2018, at the 2018 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in Hangzhou, China, César won two bronze medals in relays. With these medals, he became the Brazilian athlete with the most medals in World Championships across all sports! These championships were his last major elite competition.

Life After Competitive Swimming

In early 2021, César decided not to try for a spot at the Tokyo Olympics. Instead, he became a commentator for TV Globo and SportTV for the Games.

In 2023, César Cielo was officially inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, a great honor for his career.

He now represents Marcílio Dias, a sports club that has both soccer and swimming teams.

César's Family Life

César Cielo is married to Kelly Gisch. Their son, Thomas, was born in September 2015.

César's Best Times

César's Olympic record for the 50-meter freestyle from Beijing 2008 (21.30 seconds) was only broken in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics final.

Long Course (50 meter pool)

Short Course (25 meter pool)

Awards and Recognitions

César Cielo has received many awards for his amazing swimming:

• NCAA Swimmer of the Year: 2007, 2008.
• Prêmio Brasil Olímpico (Brazilian Olympic Award): 2008, 2009, 2011. He was also named best swimmer of the year in 2010 and 2013.
• Recognized by Época magazine as one of the 100 most influential Brazilians in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2014.
• Prêmio Faz Diferença ("Makes Difference" Award) from O Globo newspaper: 2009.
• Best Ibero-American athlete of 2009.
• Best athlete of the decade by "Sport Life" magazine.

Major Achievements

Olympic Games

• Beijing Olympics (China) :
  • Men's 50 m freestyle gold medal (Olympic Record).
  • Men's 100 m freestyle bronze medal.
• London Olympics (England) :
  • Men's 50 m freestyle bronze medal.

FINA World Championships

• FINA Short Course World Championships 2004 in Indianapolis (United States) :
  • Men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay silver medal.
• FINA World Championships 2009 in Rome (Italy) :
  • Men's 100 m freestyle gold medal (World Record).
  • Men's 50 m freestyle gold medal (Championship Record).
• FINA Short Course World Championships 2010 in Dubai (UAE):
  • Men's 100 m freestyle gold medal (Championship Record).
  • Men's 50 m freestyle gold medal (Championship Record).
  • Men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay bronze medal.
  • Men's 4 × 100 m medley relay bronze medal.
• FINA World Championships 2011 in Shanghai (China) :
  • Men's 50 m butterfly gold medal.
  • Men's 50 m freestyle gold medal.
• FINA World Championships 2013 in Barcelona (Spain) :
  • Men's 50 m butterfly gold medal.
  • Men's 50 m freestyle gold medal.
• FINA Short Course World Championships 2014 in Doha (Qatar):
  • Men's 100 m freestyle gold medal.
  • Men's 4×50 m medley relay gold medal (World Record).
  • Men's 4 × 100 m medley relay gold medal.
  • Men's 50 m freestyle bronze medal.
  • Men's 4×50 m mixed freestyle relay bronze medal.
• FINA World Championships 2017 in Budapest (Hungary) :
  • Men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay silver medal.
• FINA Short Course World Championships 2018 in Hangzhou (China):
  • Men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay bronze medal.
  • Men's 4×50 m medley relay bronze medal.

Images for kids

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  Nicholas Santos and Cielo at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro

• 

  Cielo at the 2009 US National Championships in Indianapolis

• 

  Cielo broke the world record in the 100-metre freestyle at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome.

• 

  Cielo at the 2012 Summer Olympics

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  Cielo in the 50-metre butterfly final at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.

See also

In Spanish: César Cielo para niños