Kaio de Almeida

Kaio Márcio de Almeida (born October 19, 1984 in João Pessoa, Brazil) is a Brazilian swimmer who specializes in the butterfly. He is also known by the reduced versions of his name: Kaio Márcio, Kaio Márcio de Almeida, Kaio Almeida, or Kaio de Almeida.

Almeida was nine years old when he began swimming in Esporte Clube Cabo Branco in João Pessoa. He suffered from asthma attacks and began swimming for medical reasons, and under the influence of his father, José Márcio. At the time, Almeida was nicknamed "Gordo" (fat), a nickname he lost at age 15 when he lost weight and began to train and compete regularly. As of February 2015, he competes for the swimming team of Minas Tênis Clube.

International career

2003

At the age of 18, Almeida competed in the 200-meter butterfly semifinal at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, where he ranked 13th. He also swam the 100-meter butterfly, ranking 22nd. In the 100-meter butterfly, he broke the Brazilian record with a time of 53.98 seconds. In the 200-meter butterfly, he broke a 20-year South American record set by Ricardo Prado in 1983. Almeida's time was 1:58.83 and the record was 1:59.00.