Career
Between 1968 and 1972, he went to live and train in the United States. At the 1967 Pan American Games, in Winnipeg, he swam the 400-metre freestyle, not reaching the finals. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, in Mexico City, he swam the 100-metre freestyle and the 4×100-metre medley (along with José Fiolo, João Costa Lima Neto and César Filardi), not reaching the finals.
At the 1972 Summer Olympics, in Munich, he finished 4th in the 4×100-metre freestyle (6 seconds and a half below the South American record), along Ruy de Oliveira, Paulo Zanetti and Paulo Becskehazy, and 5th in the 4×100-metre medley (improving in 5 seconds the South American record), along with Rômulo Arantes, José Fiolo and Sérgio Waismann.
He also swam the 100-metre freestyle and the 4×200-metre freestyle, not reaching the finals. In the 4×100-metre medley, Aranha took the relay at 8th place and exceeded 3 countries, finishing in 5th.
Despite his great results in the relays, he never was the Brazilian record holder of the 100-metre freestyle. Participated at the inaugural World Aquatics Championships in 1973 Belgrade, where he finished 5th in the 4×100-metre freestyle, along with Ruy de Oliveira, José Namorado and James Huxley Adams.
He also swam the 4×200-metre freestyle, finishing 11th, with the same team
