The first night of competition at the 2018 Sette Colli Trophy saw an astounding number of records come tumbling down. Throughout the first session of finals, a total of seven championship records and five national records were broken by well-known athletes like Adam Peaty, Yulia Efimova, Sarah Sjostrom, and Chad le Clos.
Women’s 50 Back
Brazil’s Etiene Medeiros led a trio of athletes to sub-28 swims in the finals of the women’s 50 back. Medeiros claimed gold with a time of 27.87, followed closely by Denmark’s Mie Nielsen (27.92) and Great Britain’s Georgia Davies (27.95).
Italy’s Silvia Scalia finished fourth with a 28.01, downing the Italian National Record in the process. The previous record was a 28.07 posted in 2015 by Elena Gemo.
Men’s 50 Back
Robert Glinta of Romania posted the top time of the evening in the men’s 50 back, stopping the clock at a time of 24.78.
Brazil’s Gabriel Fantoni grabbed second overall with a time of 24.95, while Italy’s Matteo Milli turned in a 25.15 for third.
Women’s 400 Free
Great Britain’s Holly Hibbott claimed victory in the women’s 400 free, finishing 1.34 seconds ahead of the competition with a time of 4:09.78. Hibbott has been much faster this year and currently holds the fifth fastest time of 2018 with a 4:05.31 from the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Valentine Dumont of Belgium finished a strong second at 4:11.12, downing the Belgium National Record in the process. The previous record was posted 20 years ago in 1988 by Isabelle Arnould at a time of 4:11.71.
Stefania Pirozzi of Italy swam to third overall with a final time of 4:11.36.
Men’s 400 Free
Marwan El Kamash, representing Egypt, jumped to an early lead in the men’s 400 free, flipping ahead of Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Romanchuk for the first 250 meters. Within the next 50 meters, Romanchuk turned up the heat and pulled ahead of El Kamash, paving the way to a first place gold. He touched first overall with a 3:48.04, while El Kamash settled for second and a time of 3:49.40.
Italy’s Domenico Acerenza rounded out the top three with a time of 3:49.75.
Women’s 100 Breast
Russia’s Yulia Efimova blasted to a new championship record in finals of the women’s 100 breast, delivering a scorching 1:04.98 to win. The previous record was a 1:05.34, set by Australia’s Leisel Jones in 2008. Efimova’s move into 1:04 territory rockets her to the top of the world rankings for 2018, bypassing rival Lilly King’s 2018 best of 1:05.61.
Great Britain’s Siobhan-Marie O’Connor turned in a second place finish of 1:07.40, while Italy’s Arianna Castiglioni was third with a 1:07.66.
Men’s 100 Breast
World Record holder Adam Peaty knocked down his championship record from 2017 with a top finish of 58.61 in the men’s 100 breast. Peaty, who holds the world record at a 57.13, set the previous championship record at a 58.72.
Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands continued to chip away at the Dutch National Record, lowering it to a scorching 59.14. Kamminga had lowered the previous record of 59.51 to a 59.41 in prelims.
Kamminga showed his sprinting abilities in finals today as he gained on Peaty in the last 50 meters. The Dutchman out-split Peaty 31.31 to 31.55 on the homestretch.
Italy’s Fabio Scozzoli rounded out the top three with a time of 59.89.
Women’s 50 Fly
Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden did some damage to the championship record in the women’s 50 fly, lowering her own 2015 record of 25.23 to a 25.19.
Fellow sprint sensation Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands posted the only other sub-26 second time at a 25.90, while Italy’s Elena Di Liddo delivered a 26.13 for third.
Men’s 100 Fly
South Africa’s Chad le Clos continued the record-breaking streak with a new championship record in the men’s 100 fly. Le Clos turned in a time of 51.24, finishing exactly .20 seconds ahead of Great Britain’s James Guy’s 51.44. Both athletes have been faster in 2018, with le Clos’ 50.65 from the Commonwealth Games standing as first in the world rankings.
Federico Burdisso of Italy swam to third with a time of 51.73.
Despite leading the competition at the 50-meter mark with a split of 23.49, Ukraine’s Andriy Govorov fell to eighth overall with a 52.98.
Women’s 50 Free
Pernille Blume, the 2016 Olympic Champion in the 50 free, stormed to a new championship record and a sub-24 second swim in finals of the women’s 50 free. Blume delivered a 23.92 to join Australia’s Cate Campbell (23.78) as the only two swimmers to post a sub-24 second swim in 2018. Blume was the owner of the previous championship record of 24.13, which she set in the 2017 edition of the meet. She also took down her own Danish National Record of 24.00.
Sjostrom, the current World Record holder (23.67) and World Champion finished second overall with a time of 24.18. Her best for 2018 stands at a 24.08.
Kromowidjojo posted a third place finish of 24.64.
Men’s 50 Free
Benjamin Proud of Great Britain flirted with the possibility of a sub-20 second swim in the men’s 50 free finals, blasting to a new championship record of 21.16. The previous record was posted in 2015 by France’s Florent Manadou at a time of 21.64. Proud’s time also tears down Australia’s Ashley Callus’ 2009 Commonwealth record of 21.19 and lowers his own British National Record of 21.30.
Proud now sits just .01 seconds behind Caeleb Dressel’s textile world best of 21.15 from the 2017 World Championships.
Brazil’s Bruno Fratus also posted a sub-22 second time, stopping the clock at a 21.77, while Italian Andrea Vergani took third with a 22.21.
Women’s 1500 Free
Simona Quadarella of Italy concluded the first day of competition with yet another championship record. Swimming in front of a home crowd, Quadarella finished the race a whopping 10.67 ahead of Hungary’s Boglarka Kapas with a time of 15:56.81. Her time takes down her own championship record of 16:03.55, which was set in 2017.
Kapas finished second with a 16:07.48, ahead of Italy’s Alisia Tettamanzi and her time of 16:31.40.
Congratulations