13 Facts About Djan Madruga

At the Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics, Djan Madruga competed in two finals, finishing in 4th place in the 400-metre freestyle with a time of 3:57.18 and in the 1500-metre freestyle where his time was 15:19.84.

Djan Madruga went to Mission Viejo in 1977, to train with the renowned US swimming coach, Mark Schubert, where he shared the pool with the Olympic champion and record holder Brian Goodell.

Djan Madruga competed at the 1979 Summer Universiade, in Mexico City, where he won the gold medal in the 400-metre individual medley, and the silver medal in the 200-metre backstroke.

At the US Open in April 1980 at Austin, Texas, Djan Madruga won the 800-metre freestyle and the 400-metre individual medley races, in the process achieving a goal he had set in Montreal 1976, by defeating the Olympic champion Brian Goodell.

At the 1981 Summer Universiade, held in Bucharest, Djan Madruga won the silver medal in both the 400-metre freestyle and the 200-metre backstroke.

Djan Madruga was an early prodigy; at 15 years of age competing in the South American Championships and the US Open in 1973 and 1974, he began his domination of long distance events on the South American continent.

In 1979 Djan Madruga Magruga became the one and only Brazilian swimmer to simultaneously hold the records in all freestyle distances from 100- to 1500-metre.

Djan Madruga was first Brazilian to beat an Olympic record in swimming, with a time of 3:59.62 during qualifying heats in the 400-metre freestyle, in Montreal 1976.

Djan Madruga held the South American record for the 1500-metre freestyle for 19 years from 1976, until Luiz Lima, broke it in 1995, and the South American record for the 400-metre freestyle for 17 years, from April 1980 until it was equaled by Luiz Lima in 1997.

Between 1983 and 1987 Djan Madruga was a professional triathlete.

Djan Madruga competed in the Ironman Hawaii in 1984, where he broke the record of swimming stage, finishing 126th from 1500 competitors.

Djan Madruga participated in the campaign to bring the 2016 Summer Olympics to Rio de Janeiro, when he assisted in planning and in presentations made to the International Olympic Committee.

Djan Madruga owns a swimming academy in Rio de Janeiro built in the 1990s in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood.