Second morning of competition at Foro Italico Pool. The atmosphere was electric as athletes dove into the water for the morning heats, each one vying for a coveted spot in this afternoon’s finals.
The day kicked off with the women's 100m butterfly heats. Japan’s Rikako Ikee, who made headlines as a young prodigy before a prolonged illness halted her career, posted the fastest time of 58.03. She was closely followed by Sweden’s Louise Hansson, clocking 58.30, fresh off a personal best in the 50m the previous day. Italy’s Costanza Cocconcelli secured third with 59.00. Notably, double Olympic medley champion Yui Ohashi and Canadian standout Mary-Sophie Harvey missed out on the final.
In the men's 200m butterfly, Tokyo 2021 Olympic bronze medalist Federico Burdisso topped the penultimate qualifying heat with a time of 1:57.39. He will face a formidable challenge in the final from compatriot Giacomo Carini, who recorded the second-fastest overall time of 1:57.99 after an impressive performance in the B final of the 100m butterfly. Brazilian swimmer Nicolas Albiero posted the third fastest qualifying time with 1:58.24, while world medallist Alberto Razzetti wasn’t far behind, finishing fourth in 1:59.28.
Dutch champion Kira Toussaint led the women’s 100m backstroke with a time of 1:00.73, followed closely by compatriot Maaike de Waard, a specialist in both backstroke and butterfly sprints, with 1:00.91. Great Britain's Kathleen Dawson, an Olympic champion in the mixed medley relay, secured third with 1:01.80.
In the men's 50m backstroke, Michele Lamberti continued his impressive form, leading the heats with a personal best of 24.83. Brazilian Guilherme Basseto finished second, winning his heat in 25.12, and Japan’s Katsuhiro Matsuyama claimed third with 25.23.
World champion Freya Colbert topped the women’s 400m individual medley heats with a time of 4:41.00, following her bronze in the 200m freestyle the previous day. The second-best time came from the “Iron Lady” and new mother, Katinka Hosszu, who finished in 4:42.97. Another British swimmer, Katie Shanahan, rounded out the top three with 4:43.29.
In the men’s 400m individual medley, Doha World silver medallist Max Litchfield recorded the fastest time of the morning with 4:15.47. Japanese swimming star Daiya Seto, a three-time world champion and Rio 2016 bronze medallist in this event, followed with 4:16.62. Italy’s Pier Andrea Matteazzi finished third, clocking 4:17.46.
The women's 100m freestyle final promises to be thrilling, headlined by world record holder Sarah Sjostrom, who posted the fastest qualifying time of 53.41. She will be joined in the final by reigning Olympic silver medallist Siobhan Haughey, who recorded 53.93. Both swimmers secured victories in their respective events yesterday, setting the stage for an exciting showdown. Great Britain’s Anna Hopkin, an Olympic champion in the mixed medley relay, qualified third with 53.95 and will also be a strong contender.
The men’s 100m freestyle final is set to be a nail-biter, with the top eight finalists separated by just 0.52 seconds. Leading the pack is Great Britain’s Matthew Richards, the 2023 world champion in the 200m freestyle, with 48.73. Brazilian sprint ace Bruno Santos is close behind in 48.79. Italy’s Alessandro Miressi, silver medallist in this event at the recent Doha Worlds, and British multi-Olympic medallist Duncan Scott both posted 48.90, tying for third.
Italian swimmers dominated the women’s 50m breaststroke heats. Benedetta Pilato led the field with another sub-30 second performance, clocking 29.99. Lisa Angiolini, silver medallist in the 100m breaststroke at the European Championships in this pool two years ago, followed in 30.58. Arianna Castiglioni, a multiple European medallist, secured third with 30.69, while reigning champion Ruta Meilutytė failed to advance.
In the men’s 50m breaststroke, Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi led the heats with a time of 26.56. He aims to repeat his gold medal performance from yesterday. Ludovico Blu Art Viberti finished second in 26.87, seeking another strong performance following his excellent result on Friday. Simone Cerasuolo, a world bronze medallist in this event in short course, qualified third with 26.94. World record holder and Olympic champion Adam Peaty secured the fifth spot with 27.14 and will be a key contender in the final.
