Steverink Crowned South American Games' Top Medalist With Historic Six-Medal Haul

Stephan Steverink concluded his South American Games Santa Fe 2026 campaign as one of the competition's standout performers. Competing for the Brazilian National Team, the Flamengo swimmer secured six medals—four gold, one silver and one bronze—to finish as the Games' leading individual medalist. His titles came in the 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 400m individual medley and 4x200m freestyle relay, alongside silver in the 800m freestyle and bronze in the 1,500m freestyle. In the 400m freestyle, Steverink also set a new Games record with a time of 3:46.07.

The Argentina outing caps off a season of remarkable consistency. At the Troféu Maria Lenk—Brazil's flagship long-course championship—Steverink claimed five medals, three gold and two silver, and posted the tournament's best technical index among male competitors. He won the 400m freestyle in 3:45.26, a mark that secured his qualification for the Pan-Pacific Championship. The Flamengo swimmer also captured the 200m freestyle title in 1:46.32.

Steverink continued his form at the Troféu José Finkel. The swimmer earned silver in the 400m individual medley and bronze medals in both the 400m and 800m freestyle events, while also anchoring Flamengo's 4x200m freestyle relay to a third-place finish. The performance netted him two World Championship qualifying times in the 400m freestyle and 400m individual medley, both in short course.

Representing Brazil internationally, Steverink also competed at the Pan-Pacific Championship in August across the United States, testing himself against some of the world's elite swimmers. He reached the 400m freestyle final, finishing seventh, and also competed in the 200m and 800m freestyle before joining Brazil's 4x200m freestyle relay.

Following his historic South American Games campaign, Steverink is continuing his development in the United States, balancing academics and training at the University of Kentucky. The program forms part of his preparation pathway toward the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle. Steverink maintains his long-standing connection with Flamengo and will continue to represent the club in major domestic and international competitions.