19 Facts About Ricardo Prado

Ricardo Prado was one of the greatest swimmers in the history of Brazil and the best Brazilian swimmer in the 1980s.

On 8 August 1982, at the 1982 World Aquatics Championships in Guayaquil, Prado won a gold medal in the 400-metre individual medley, with a time of 4:19.78, establishing a new world record that stood until 23 May 1984.

Ricardo Prado had chances to earn a good result in the 200-metre individual medley, but the conditions were adverse in Ecuador.

At the 1983 Summer Universiade, in Edmonton, Ricardo Prado won two bronze medals: in the 200-metre and 400-metre individual medley races.

Ricardo Prado finished fourth in the 200-metre backstroke, and sixth in the 200-metre butterfly.

Ricardo Prado competed at the 1983 Pan American Games, in Caracas, where he won two gold medals in the 200-metre and 400-metre individual medley.

Ricardo Prado won two silver medals: in the 200-metre backstroke, and in the 200-metre butterfly.

Ricardo Prado won the silver medal in the men's 400-metre individual medley at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.

Ricardo Prado participated in the 1985 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, the first year of the competition, where he won the gold medal in the 400-metre individual medley, and the bronze medal in the 200-metre butterfly.

At the 1985 Summer Universiade, in Kobe, Ricardo Prado won the gold medal in the 400-metre individual medley and the bronze medal in the 200-metre individual medley.

Ricardo Prado finished fourth in the 200-metre backstroke and in the 200-metre butterfly.

At the 1986 World Aquatics Championships in Madrid, Ricardo Prado competed in the 200-metre individual medley final, finishing seventh.

Ricardo Prado began to decline after losing the gold in Los Angeles 1984 to Alex Baumann.

Ricardo Prado said goodbye to competitive swimming after racing for 23 years.

Ricardo Prado broke the South American record in the 400-metre individual medley at the 1984 Summer Olympics, with a time of 4:18.45.

In 2003, at 38 years old, Ricardo Prado suffered a heart attack, and later had an angioplasty procedure at a hospital in Dallas, Texas.

Ricardo Prado served as sports manager of the Organizing Committee of the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Ricardo Prado graduated with a Masters in Economics and in Physical education from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Ricardo Prado is a swimming commentator for the pay-TV channel ESPN Brasil.