06/21 at 07:38 PM

Cesar Cielo just smiled.

He didn’t want to admit it. But it’s true.

He’s a rock star. Especially in his home country Brazil.

There, Cielo is as big as the landscape, with the smile and attitude to match.

That’s just what happens when you are the fastest swimmer on the planet heading into the Olympic Games.

Cielo, the former Auburn swimmer, who turned pro after the NCAA Championships in March, forgoing his senior year, is the record holder for the fastest 50-yard swim ever.

His mark of 18.47 seconds is an NCAA and U.S. Open record. He’s also the first human to swim under 41 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle.

He just goes fast. Real fast.

He’s a sprinter.

A rock star.

And he loves it.

“It’s definitely the most exciting event,” Cielo said of his forte. “I love to swim sprints. I love that I’m a sprinter. That’s what everyone wants to be.”

And it’s who everyone wants to talk to.

Friday at James E. Martin Aquatics Center, about a dozen newspaper, TV and Internet reporters showed up to talk to Cielo as he continues to train for the Olympics in Beijing, which begin in August.

Some 48 days away from the Summer Games, and the media couldn’t get enough of the 6-foot-2 Brazilian who is ready to make the jump from dominating the collegiate ranks to being a major player in the International world.

See, there’s a difference between NCAA and Olympic swimming — 3 inches. The NCAA measures its races in yards, the Olympics in meters.
It might not seem like 3 inches would make a difference — a yard is 36 inches, while a meter is 39 inches — but stretch it out over 50 and 100 meters, it takes its toll.

And those are the two races Cielo will be competing in when he lands in China.

“I love to swim yards,” he said. “That’s my favorite pool. It’s so fast. And some how I can just swim so fast in yards.”

But Cielo isn’t too worried about the extended distance. He knows he’s fast. And he’s proven it. He’s the current South American record holder in both the 50- and 100-meter freestyles.

“My goal right now is to just swim faster than my best times,” he said, “and just try to get that perfect performance. That’s what I’m looking for.
The perfect event, the perfect start, break out and swim to the finish.”

If he can do that, Cielo believes he has a good shot at an Olympic medal. And all the spoils that go with it — more media attention, more fame and, of course, money.

“If I get the result I want at the Olympics, I know the money and the media will come,” Cielo said. “I’m not really worried about the money right now. I’ve already made some. But it’s not even close to what I’m expecting after the Games.”

And that’s why Cielo chose to stay in Auburn and train for the Games. He doesn’t want to get caught up in all the hype that would surround him if he were back in Brazil getting ready.

“Over there it’s a little bit different,” he said. “That’s why I chose to stay here all the way until the Olympics and do my final preparation here. I kind of feel comfortable here not having to do interviews all the time and all that stuff. It puts me away from that. It helps me to focus more on my preparation.

“I stayed in Brazil like three days after Nationals and I had to do I don’t know how many interviews. My phone was ringing all the time. So, I was like, ‘I have to go home, I have to practice.’”

Such is the life of a rock star.

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