Benedetta Pilato set a world junior record of 29.85 in the 50m breaststroke and Gregorio Paltrinieri, Alessandro Miressi and Mewen Tomac all set new championship standards on a night when both youth and experience shone at the Sette Colli meet in Rome.
Pilato took 0.01secs off the previous world junior record of 29.86 set by Ruta Meilutyte at the 2013 World Junior Championships, a year after she became Olympic 100m breaststroke champion.
Benedetta Pilato: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / deepbluemedia
It was also an Italian record for the 15-year-old who sliced a 0.13 chunk off the mark she set in the heats at last year’s World Championships where she would go on to take silver.
But the championship record still stands to Yulia Efimova, the Russian going just 0.01 quicker in 2018.
In the same race, Lisa Mamie set her second Swiss record in as many days in 31.23, 24 hours after her 100 breaststroke standard of 1:06.60.
Such a shame though that there were no crowds at the iconic Foro Italico to witness the Italian teenager although there will no doubt be packed stands and celebration in the coming years. Health of course paramount.
Paltrinieri clocked 7:40.22 in the 800 free – 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.
Miressi lowered his own championship mark in the 100m freestyle to 48.15 while Tomac set a new record of 53.29 in the 100m backstroke with Thomas Ceccon just 0.06 off the Italian mark in 53.40.
Federico Burdisso was just 0.44 off his Italian record as he completed the butterfly double with victory in the 200 in 1:54.83.
David Verraszto – 13 years the senior of both Tomac and Burdisso – led from start to finish to win the 400IM in 4:12.66.
Paltrinieri Attacks On All Fronts
Photo Courtesy: SIPA USA
A little over a month ago Paltrinieri insisted the pool remains a priority after he joined the Italian national open water squad under the guidance of Fabrizio Antonelli.
Paltrinieri announced in May that he had split with Stefano Morini, his coach of nine years and the man who helped guide him to become the first Italian to win the Olympic 1500 free title at Rio 2016.
The 25-year-old dispelled any notion that he would now be concentrating on the open water in which he came sixth at worlds last year to qualify for Tokyo 2020, now rescheduled for July 2021.
With the 800 free now on the Olympic programme for men, Paltrinieri has another shot at topping the greatest podium of all should he attempt it along with the 1500 and 10km.
Second by 0.12 behind compatriot Gabriele Detti at the first turn, Paltrinieri had an 0.02 lead at the 100m mark and from there he struck out – 4.21secs ahead at halfway – to win by 5.82secs.
His time was 1.06secs quicker than that which Henrik Christiansen swam for silver at the 2019 worlds and sliced 2.84secs off the championship record of 7:43.06 set by Detti in 2016.
The world record was also set at the Foro Italico – Zhang Lin of China setting a time of 7:32.12 at the 2009 worlds at the peak of the shiny suits.
Detti is the former European record holder with a time of 7:40.77 en-route to the 2017 world title and on Wednesday he clocked 7:46.04 for second with Domenico Arenza next in 7:48.74.
Miressi Triumphs In Gladiatorial Arena
Two years ago to the day Miressi made history in the Eternal City when he set a new national record of 47.92 at the Italian Summer Championships.
That followed his gold at the European Championships in Glasgow ahead of Duncan Scott and Mehdy Metella.
Alessandro Miressi; Photo Courtesy: eepbluemedia/Giorgio Scala
Fast forward exactly two years and the 21-year-old from Turin was back in the city of the gladiators, 24 hours after 21.93 brought him victory in the 50 free.
Out in 23.26 and back in 24.89, Miressi’s time of 48.15 sliced 0.10 from his own championship mark set at the Sette Colli in June 2018.
Ivano Vendrame clocked the second-fastest time in 48.70 with Manuel Frigo third in 48.75.
Federica Pellegrini. La Divina. La Fede. The Lioness of Verona.
It is 11 years since she commanded the crowd at the Foro Italico at the 2009 World Championships and 16 have elapsed between now and her first appearance at the Olympics when she won silver in the 200 free, days after turning 16.
This time last week Pellegrini celebrated her 32nd birthday and on Wednesday she won the 100 free in 54.33 ahead of Valentine Dumont – who was just 0.01 outside her own Belgian record in 54.91 – and Silvia di Pietro (54.96).
Back To The Future For Tomac While Burdisso Flies Again
France has a fine backstroke tradition with Camille Lacourt‘s continental record of 52.11 from the 2010 European Championships still standing today, 10 years and two days on.
Tomac had served notice of his form on the opening night when he won the 50 back in 24.88 and on Wednesday he went out in 25.87 – the only sub-26 in the field – and came back in 27.42.
The 18-year-old sliced 0.11secs off the championship mark of 53.40 set by Michael Andrew of the United States in June 2019.
Ceccon – the world junior champion – matched Andrew’s time to go within a sliver of the Italian record set in 2016 by Simone Sabbioni who was third in 53.71.
Federico Burdisso: Photo Courtesy: FINA / Budapest 2019
That came on the heels of the 200 fly in which only Daiya Seto of Japan has gone quicker in 2020 with an eye-opening 1:52.53 in January – although the season has of course been so impacted by the pandemic.
A measure of the quality of Burdisso’s performance is the fact it would have been good enough for sixth at last year’s World Championships.
Burdisso finished fourth in Gwangju, setting an Italian record of 1:54.39 but 0.24 off the third step of the podium occupied by 2012 Olympic champion Chad le Clos.
That race was dominated by the astonishing performance of Kristof Milak who downed Michael Phelps’ iconic world record in 1:50.73.
The Hungarian went 1:55.01 at the recent Four Nations International in Budapest – that time now outstripped by Burdisso who had won the 100 fly on Tuesday in 51.85.
The Italian, who won bronze aged 16 at the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow, was out in 24.92 and went through the first 100 in 53.36 – o.13 outside his national record pace – which he followed with splits of 29.91/31.56 for a commanding victory.
Alberto Razzetti was second in 1:56.61 with Claudio Faraci setting the third-fastest time of 1:58.01 when winning the second heat.
Verraszto Continues Fine Hungarian Legacy
While France boasts a backstroke legacy, Hungary have produced some of the finest medley specialists in history.
Tamas Darnyi won the 200 and 400IM double at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics, Katinka Hosszu claimed both IM titles at Rio 2016 and Laszlo Cseh boasts four medals in the medley events over three Games.
Photo Courtesy: Greg Bertram – USA Today Sports
While there may as yet be no Olympic medals in Verraszto’s trophy cabinet, there are two world silvers from 2017 and 2015 as well as three European golds and two silvers – the first of which came almost exactly 10 years ago on 15 August 2010. Ahead of him……Cseh, the man who still holds the European record of 4:06.16 at Beijing 2008.
On Wednesday he struck out alone, going out in 57.66/2:02.51/3:13.68 with a final 100 of 58.98 steering him home in 4:12.66.
Pier Andrea Matteazzi was second in 4:15.03 with another Hungarian – and one who appears to be set for a fine future – Dominik Torok making up a 1.2sec deficit at the final turn to come home in 27.81 for third in 4:19.30.
Caramignoli Completes Distance Double
Martina Caramignoli added the 800 free title to her 1500m gold in 8:24.16 ahead of Giulia Salin – who won the 400 on the opening night – who clocked 8:26.81 with Anna Egorova clocking third in 8:31.40.
Nicolo Martinenghi won the men’s 50m breaststroke in 26.94 ahead of Fabio Scozzoli (27.23).
Margherita Panzeira overcame a deficit of 0.40secs at halfway to overhaul Silvia Scala in the 100m backstroke, a final 50 of 30.68 propelling her to stop the clock at 59.96.
Scalia touched in 1:00.55 ahead of 2018 European bronze medallist Carlotta Zofkova who touched in 1:00.64.
Ilaria Bianchi won the 100 fly in 58.73, 0.16 ahead of compatriot Elena di Liddo who had turned a tiny fraction in the lead at halfway. Federica Greco was third in 59.33.
Luisa Trombetti went ahead on the breaststroke leg of the 4ooIM, a position she never relinquished to win in 4:45.24 with Sara Franceschi second in 4:49.30.
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