Career
Santana started competing in national championships in 2008. His first national title came in the Youth I category, in November 2011. Santana swam for the Brazilian team in Multinations, at Corfu, Greece, in 2012.
Santana was classified to the 2013 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Dubai, but was cut because of diabetes.
At the 2014 Maria Lenk Trophy in São Paulo Paulo, Santana broke the Junior world record twice in the 100-metre freestyle, with a time of 48.85 in the heats and 48.61 in the final. He qualified for the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, but decided not to participate in this tournament due to the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics.
At the Brazilian Junior and Senior Swimming Championships in May 2014, he broke the Junior world record in the 100-metre freestyle again, with a time of 48.35, the sixth best time in the world in 2014 in the event. He also finished 7th in the 100-metre freestyle.
At the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Santana finished 4th in the Men"s 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay, again along with Marcelo Chierighini, Bruno Fratus and João de Lucca.
César Cielo didn"t swim the final - despite participating in the championships, he was feeling shoulder pain this day. In the Men"s 100 metre freestyle, he finished 9th with a time of 48.52, almost going to the final. He also finished 6th in the 4 × 100 metre mixed freestyle relay, along with Bruno Fratus, Larissa Oliveira and Daynara de Paula, breaking the South American record with a time of 3:25.58.