After three years away from the pool and competitions, swimmer Pedro Monteiro entered the Maria Lenk Trophy – Correios Swimming Cup and won the bronze medal in the 200m butterfly event, almost reaching the required level to participate in the Rio-2007 Pan American Games.

In 2003, Pedro had already reached the podium, winning the bronze medal in the 200m butterfly during the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo.

At 31 years old and dedicating himself to a marketing career at the Brazilian Olympic Committee, Pedro was practically retired when he overcame some obstacles and decided to take a chance on Maria Lenk.

- "I returned to swimming last year. Right after the Santo Domingo Pan American Games, I injured my shoulder, caught a virus that made me lose a lot of weight, and I ended up taking a break. Last year, during a competition, I felt like getting back into training."

Despite having only recently returned, the Flamengo player won the Rio de Janeiro state championship and the 2006 Open championship, held in Vitória, Espírito Santo. A Flamengo player since 1981, Pedro Monteiro has a history of taking the Sacred Mantle to the podium.

Training daily from 5:30 to 8:30 a.m. and working until 21 p.m. to push himself to the limit, Pedro still feels pain in his right shoulder. "I've had a problem with my shoulder again, the beginnings of bursitis and tendonitis, and even with the pain, I competed in the Maria Lenk. Now I have to set a goal for the end of the year."

According to coach Jorge Lourenço, the red-and-black swimming team will be able to count on Pedro's presence and determination at the Swimming World Cup, which will be held in November. - "Pedro is the athlete of the century in my opinion. He overcame a lot of things to be able to return to swimming and he's here, shining."