Gregorio Paltrinieri swam the second-fastest 1500 freestyle in history as he set a new European record of 14:33.10 to bring the Sette Colli Trophy to a spectacular close at the Foro Italico in Rome.
Paltrinieri took 0.94 off his previous record of 14:34.04 which he had set en-route to the European title in London in May 2016.
It also demolished his own meet record of 14:49.06 set in 2017.
Lisa Mamie set her third Swiss record in as many days as she lowered her own 200m breaststroke standard by 0.20secs to 2:24.27.
Alberto Razzetti broke the Italian record in the men’s 200IM as a time of 1:58.09 toppled Alessio Boggiato‘s mark that had stood since the 2009 worlds in this very pool.
There was also a championship record in the 200 free for Marco di Tullio whose time of 1:46.56 sliced 0.22 from the standard set in 2018 by Gabriele Detti.
Federica Pellegrini won the 200 free as Valentine Dumont claimed her second Belgian record of the competition in 1:58.29.
Paltrinieri Gives Masterclass In Gladiatorial Arena
Photo Courtesy: SIPA USA
Paltrinieri had shown he was on top form on Wednesday night when he clocked 7:40.22 in the 800 free.
That was just 0.95secs off the European record he set en-route to the gold medal at the 2019 worlds and a time only he bettered in Gwangju.
The 25-year-old returned on Thursday for the 1500 free, in which he became the first Italian Olympic champion in that event when he triumphed at Rio 2016.
Out in 26.99, Paltrinieri led from start to finish to win by 16.88secs from Domenico Acarenza who clocked 14:49.98 for second, a time in itself that would have been good enough for sixth at last year’s World Championships.
That simply underlines the sheer quality of Paltrinieri’s performance.
As does the fact that Marc-Antoine Olivier took third in 15:06.29, 33.19secs adrift of Paltrinieri who had finished before the Frenchman – who won open water silver at the 2019 worlds – had even reached the final turn.
His splits were metronomic. After his first 100 of 26.99 and 28.91, the Italian produced 26 consecutive 29sec lengths, ranging from 29.07 to 29.52.
Splits:
26.99/28.91/29.35/29.44/29.31/29.25/29.30/29.26
29.12/29.26/29.25/29.19/29.27/29.07/29.29/29.15
29.15/29.19/29.29/29.12/29.52/29.27/29.29/29.25
29.24/29.27/29.19/29.26/28.82/27.83
It all brings into sharp focus what would be needed to break the world record which still stands to Sun Yang, the Chinese clocking 14:31.02 en-route to Olympic gold in London in 2012.
Only last month Gregorio Paltrinieri insisted the pool was still a priority after he joined the Italian national open water squad under the guidance of Fabrizio Antonelli.
Gregorio Paltrinieri: Photo Courtesy: SIPA USA
Paltrinieri announced in May that he had split with Stefano Morini, his coach of nine years and the man who helped guide him to Olympic gold.
Paltrinieri, a medallist in the 1500 at every worlds since 2013, instead credited the break that was enforced by the pandemic for renewing his motivation, a year after he finished third behind Florian Wellbrock and Mykhailo Romanchuk in Gwangju.
He insisted that he would give equal prominence to the pool and open water competitions in Tokyo at next year’s rescheduled Games, saying:
“I feel very motivated, I take it as an opportunity, a year is missing, I am very busy.
“My way of training has changed, but I have not given up the swimming pool because the swimming pool remains a priority.
“It may seem risky but the choice to do everything can give me a lot. It will be a tough week, a tour de force. At the World Championships I have already tried, doing some good and some bad things. Now I will try to do everything the best.”
Mamie And Razzetti Write Their Names In The History Books
Lisa Mamie: Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant
Mamie arrived at the blocks for the 200 breast having already set new national records in the 50 and 100m.
The 21-year-old was out in 33.10 to head the field at the first turn and subsequent splits of 37.34/36.59/37.24 steered her to first, cutting 0.2 from her own Swiss mark she set at last year’s World Championships when she finished ninth to miss out on the final by just one place.
Martina Carraro was third at the final turn but a last 50 of 37.32 saw her overhaul Francesca Fangio to touch ahead 2:25.67 to 2:25.74.
In the men’s 200IM, Razzetti took the lead on the breaststroke leg and then a 28.02 freestyle blast steered him away from the rest of the field and into the record books, consigning to history another shiny suit standard.
Pier Andrea Matteazzi came from fourth at the final turn to second with a final 50 of 29.71 although he was some 3.88secs adrift of Razzetti in 2:01.97.
Massimiliano Matteazzi was third in 2:02.06
Di Tullio Topples Detti’s Meet Mark As Pellegrini Tops Podium Again
Di Tullio and Stefano Ballo were joint second at the first 50 as Mattia Zuin struck out in 25.05.
But splits of 27.12/27.28/26.81 saw the former stop the clock first with Detti moving from fourth at halfway to touch in second in 1:46.69 thanks to a 26.63 blast down the last 50.
Ballo was third in 1:47.29.
Federica Pellegrini with a crown of water as the queen of 200m free racing – Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer
That was followed by the women’s race where Pellegrini overhauled Dumont with a final 50 of 29.45 to stop the clock in 1:57.80.
The Belgian sliced 0.6secs off her previous national standard of 1:58.35 set at the European Junior Championships in 2017.
Anna Egorova moved from fourth to third on the last 50 in 1:59.62.
The time was not one that will be forever etched on the memory but what the rescheduling of the Olympics does underline is the longevity of Pellegrini’s career.
She first came to international prominence at the 2004 Olympics where she won silver in the 200 free behind Camelia Potec days after turning 16.
Last week she celebrated her 32nd birthday before arriving at the pool in Rome where she has made so much history: the first woman to dip inside the four-minute barrier for the 400 free and the 2oo world record of 1:52.98 that still stands today.
Once here she took bronze in the 50 free before gold over 100 and 200, another year to go now before where she will be seeking to win her first Olympic medal since 2008 where she won gold in the 200 free. That would be 13 years between medals should she make the podium one year hence. A lucky number for some maybe.
Ceccon Flies To Within Fractions Of Italian Mark
World junior champion Thomas Ceccon was only 0.08 off the Italian record when he won the 50 fly in 23.29.
The record of 23.21 was set by Piero Codia at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona and he was second on Thursday in 23.38 ahead of Matteo Rivolta (23.85).
Margherita Panziera dominated the women’s 200m backstroke to win by 4.23secs in 2:08.29.
Margherita Panziera on her way to 200m backstroke gold in an Italian record at the European Short-Course Championships in Glasgow -Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer
The European champion was 1.72 up at halfway and continued to pull away as Carlotta Zofkova and Martina Cenci fought out their own private duel behind her.
Cenci was in second following the final turn but Zofkova came home in 34.11 to overhaul her rival and stop the clock at 2:12.52 to the former’s 2:13.17.
There was a dead heat in the first event of the evening when Luca Mencarini and Matteo Restivo both touched the wall in 1:57.98 in the 200 back.
Mewen Tomac won his third medal of the meet as he followed his golds in the 50 and 100 back with bronze in the longer race in 1:58.39.
It concluded a highly successful outing for the Frenchman who also set a championship record over 100m.
Marco Koch moved from fourth at the 150 mark to win the 200 breaststroke in 2:10.95.
The 2005 world champion was 1.75secs behind leader Edoardo Giorgetti at the final turn but a last-length blast of 33.02 propelled him to first, 0.10secs ahead of his rival who had to settle for silver in 2:11.05.
Alessandro Fusco was third throughout and stopped the clock at 2:11.71.
Ilaria Cusinato came from second at the final turn to win the 200 fly in 2:10.53 as long-time leader Liliana Szilagyi dropped to fourth.
Roberta Piano del Balzo leaped from fourth to second on the last 50 in 2:11.42 with Anna Pirovano in third in 2:11.50.
Pirovano then returned to win the 200IM, moving from fifth at halfway to stop the clock at 2:14.21.
Behind her came Sara Franceschi – who led going into the last 50 – in 2:14.30 and Costanza Cocconcelli (2:15.42).
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Very solid splits! Congrats!!
Where are video?