ROME, Italy, June 13. FRANCE'S Camille Muffat continues to post impressive times in the 400 freestyle, the event in which she won Olympic gold last year, routing the field at the Sette Colli Trophy meet today. The long course competition is featuring some top swimmers from Brazil, Hungary, France and the Netherlands, among other countries.
In a field that included world record holder Federica Pellegrini, Muffat finished the race with a 4:02.64, slightly faster than the 4:02.84 she swam on Sunday in Barcelona. While Muffat had already ranked first in the world with her swim from earlier this week, today's swim cements the ranking. She's still the only swimmer under 4:03, with Australian Bronte Barratt holding second in the world with a 4:03.52. The swim also broke Pellegrini's meet record of 4:02.98 from 2008.
Fellow Frenchwoman Coralie Balmy placed second today in Rome with a 4:05.73. It's her fastest swim of the year, with a 4:07.93 previously to her credit from February. Balmy now sits sixth in the world. Pellegrini was third in the race today with a 4:07.37.
Fabio Scozzoli, already one of two people under the 1:00 mark in the 100 breaststroke so far in 2013, posted another sub-1:00 swim today with a winning time of 59.95, breaking Cameron van der Burgh's meet record of 1:00.39. The time is within five tenths of Scozzoli's national record of 59.42, which he posted in his silver-medal swim at the 2011 world championships. In second place today was fellow Italian Andrea Toniato with a 1:00.52, which bumps him up from 18th to 12th in the world. France's Giacomo Dortona was third with a 1:00.61, slightly better than the 1:00.64 he posted in April to sit 14th in the world.
An upset of sorts occurred in the men's 100 fly final. South Africa's Chad Le Clos and Russia's Evgeny Korotyshkin, who tied for silver in the event in London, were beaten to the wall by Italy's Matteo Rivolta, who posted a 52.72. Le Clos was second with a 52.82 and Korotyshkin placed third with a 52.85. All three have posted times in the 51-second range this year, with Korotyshkin fastest with a 51.53.
Olympic champion Florent Manaudou won the 50 free in a meet record time of 21.80, breaking Eamon Sullivan's record of 21.85 from 2008. Compatriot (and quasi-brother-in-law) Fred Bousquet was second in 21.94, while Ukraine's Andrey Govorov was third with a 22.17.
Lotte Friis of Denmark won the 1500 freestyle in a championship record time of 16:05.62. It's four seconds off her world-leading time of 16:01.41 from March. This year marked the first time the 1500 was offered for women at the meet. Italy went 2-3 in the race, with Martina Caramignoli second with a 16:11.68 and Aurora Ponsele well back for third with a 16:28.84.
The Dutch swept the podium in the women's 50 freestyle, as Olympic champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo took first with a 24.41. Inge Dekker was second with a 25.12 and Femke Heemskerk took third in 25.29.
Samuel Pizzetti went head to head with Andrea Mitchell D'Arrigo (an incoming freshman at the University of Virginia) in the men's 400 freestyle today, with Pizzetti just barely getting the win with a 3:49.14. D'Arrigo was second with a 3:49.94, just off his lifetime best of 3:49.28 that he swam in April. France's Damien Joly took third with a 3:52.06.
Michaela Guzzetti won the women's 100 breast with a 1:08.12, with Giulia De Ascentis second with a 1:08.51 and Holland's Moniek Nijhuis third with a 1:08.82.
Ilara Bianchi, the Italian national record holder in the women's 100 fly with a 57.27, won that event today with a 58.49, slightly slower than the 58.14 she swam at nationals in April. Behind her was Hungary's Evelyn Verraszto and Zsuzsanna Jakabos, who tied for second with times of 59.04.
Hungary's Gergo Kis used a 54-second final 100 meters to pull away from Italy's Gregoria Paltrinieri and win the 800 freestyle with a 7:54.89. Paltrinieri was second with a 7:58.19 and Italy's Luca Baggio was third with an 8:02.74.
In the women's 50 backstroke, Arianna Barbieri won with a 28.44, with Elena Gemo second with a 28.68 and Cloe Credeville third with a 28.97. Camille Lacourt took the men's race with a meet record 24.68, breaking Randall Bal's mark of 25.02. Stefano Pizzamiglio was second with a 25.20 and Niccolo Bonacchi took third with a 25.24.