Popovic marks the junior world record on 100 freestyle

Finals and semifinals day 1. Flash quotes

Shown below the winning and best athletes on the first day of the 47th European Junior Championships at the Swimming Stadium. 

Men's 400m freestyle - Final
1. Batuhan Filiz (Tur) 3'50"68: Overjoyed about my result, this is my first gold and i'really happy to have won it here, in Rome. It's the first time I've raced in this pool. This time, that is my best,an  confirms my conditione for the Olympic game. 

Women's 400m individual medley - Final
1. Shanahan Katie (Gbr) 4'42"59: I'm really happy about today's victory, I've dona my best. I really didn't expect to win. I'm excited to swim in this pool, it is the first time for me. Now I have to think about the 200 medley, on friday. 

Men's 4x100m freestyle - Final
David Popovici (Romania 2nd place, 3'19"93) 47"56 WRJ (previous record 47"47) : I've been in Rome before, so I'm happy to be back and to have signed the new relay record with my teammates. 

Women's 4x200m - Final
1. Hungary in 8'00"95 (Veres 2'00"32, Fabian 2'00"52, Nyiradi 2'00"31, Padar 1'59"80).
Fabian: We didn't expect this result and we especially didn't expect to win. We worked hard to get there. It was the first time we were competing together, at these European Championship in Rome.

Credits Photo: Andrea Masini / DBM

Heats day 1. Pilato and Tuncel set Championships Record

Started this morning the 47th European Junior Championships at the Swimming Stadium in Rome, with about 600 athletes in the pool representing 48 countries. In the first race the danish Rasmus Nickelsen lowers the personal best by 2 cents in the 50m butterfly (23"85), followed by Benedetta Pilato who swims fast for the eighth personal best time in the 50m breaststroke, distance of which she is European champion, vice world champion and world record holder in 29''30. Two personal bests in the Turkish team: Batuhan Filiz, in the 400m freestyle (3'51"60, prec. 3'51"97) and Merve Tuncel, 8'28"03 in the 800m freestyle wich is also the Championship Record (prec. Giulia Salin 8'29"19). Polish Ksawery Masiuk, in the 100m backstroke, also sets his new best time, the first of the morning's heats in 54"65.

Shown below the best results of the heats.

Men's 50m butterfly
Rasmus Nickelsen (Den) 23"85 pp (prec. 23"87)

Women's 50m breaststroke
Benedetta Pilato (Ita) 29"75

Men's 400m freestyle
Batuhan Filiz (Tur) 3'51"60 pp (prec. 3'51"97)

Women's 100m freestyle
Daria Klepikova (Rus) 55"01

Men's 100m backstroke
Ksawery Masiuk (Pol) 54"65 (prec. 54"94)

Women's 400m individual medley
Katie Shanahan (Gbr) 4'45"56

Men's 4x100m freestyle
Romania (Popovici 48"32, Gergely 50"80, Cozma 51"43, Dinu 50"63) 3'21"18

Women's 800m freestyle
Merve Tuncel (Tur) 8'28"03 CR (prec. Giulia Salin 8'29"19)

Credit Photo Andrea Masini / DBM

The welcome of the President of Lazio Region, Nicola Zingaretti

Lazio Region welcomes you to the 47th edition of the European Junior swimming championships, to be held from July 6th to July 11th at the Stadio del Nuoto in Rome, one of the most prestigious junior events on the continental sportive scene.
This is an extraordinary event that put together the most important champions of the future, attracting a huge number of enthusiasts through media coverage of the event, in which are participating circa 600 athletes representing 47 Nations, besides our Italians led by world-leading Benedetta Pilato.
We are very glad that the Stadio del Nuoto, after the success of the Sette Colli, repropose a sportive event that involves again citizen and all the swimming enthusiasts, one of the top five discipline engaged in Lazio, furthermore one of the most save and beneficiary physical activities for the development psycho-physical of the youth.
Lazio Region in the last period of time of deep struggle has continued to support sport, with an active presence of backing of initiatives and project like European Championship of Rome 2022 the is going to restore the attention of the entire region, both during the phase of approach and phase of progress, the big Italians and European champions of the aquatic disciplines that are going to be the protagonists on the Tokyo Olympics.
For us sport is health, wellness, social integration and inclusion, as well as the economic and truistic development directly liked to important events such us the ones organized by the Italian Swimming Federation, always attentive to the regional needs. The reality of swimming is an important presence in our region, expressed through circa 250 sportive society that allow athletic activity and especially teach the fundaments of swimming, essentials to peacefully live in the sea and all water surfaces.
In thanking all organizers, we would like to thank the athletes, the technicians, the directors, the judges e all the participates of the European Junior Swimming championship, wishing them to express the maximum of their own ability.
Have fun.

the Presidente of the Lazio Region, Nicola Zingaretti

The welcome of the Mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi

The city of Rome would like to welcome the athletes, the coaches, the executives, the judges, the enthusiasts and the visitors who will be on the stage at the Stadio del Nuoto, at the Foro Italico, from July 6th to July 11th for the 47th edition of the European Junior Swimming Championship.
We are honored that our lovely city can host, within 12 months, two very important continental aquatic events: the first one dedicated to the next generation and the next summer to the established champions with the 36th edition of the European swimming championship, distance swimming, dive, high diving and synchronized swimming from August 11th to August 20th.
Meanwhile we welcome with joy the 600 young swimmers from 47 nations ready to give life to six days of great show after the success of the Sette Colli, which has already seen exceptional records and performances not later than ten days ago thanks to the protagonists of Tokyo Olympics in front of an audience, even if limited, responsible and finally back at the bleachers with all its enthusiasm.
Rome will not deprive warmth and passion- in the limits of social distancing- and also this time will demonstrate its secular characteristic as a welcoming, passionate and hospital city, which promotes participation and sharing in the line of the principals of sport, that nourishes solidarity, fairness, respect between athletes, passionate and sportive from all over the world.
I’m sure that we are going to see great moments of sport, exciting competition and wonderful prelude at the next year’s European championship which expect the presence of circa 1500 athletes from 52 nations, 800 communication operators and circa 100.000 seats ate the bleachers. We hope that the pandemic can leave space to the celebration.
Rome is ready.

the Mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi

European Junior Swimming Championships. Participation record is in sight

A record of 48 nations entered for the upcoming edition of the European Junior Swimming Championships in Rome. After the lost season in 2020, everyone is keen to send its best young competitors to test themselves at LEN’s top age-group event.
The magnificent Foro Italico, site of the 2009 World Championships and the annual Sette Colli meet, will host another brilliant event next week: the European Junior Swimming Championships return to the Eternal City and its eternal aquatic complex after 1987.
A participation record is in sight as 48 nations – out of the 52 LEN Member Federations – entered the event and 566 teenaged athletes are to line up for the races on 6-11 July.
LEN and its officials now have plenty of experience on how to run major aquatic events in a safe environment so even the different pandemic situations across Europe should not influence the meet in Rome – though the bubble concept shall be in place for all participants with restricted move and regular testing.
"The success of the European Aquatics Championships this May in Budapest was a clear demonstration that it is possible to organise a Covid-free competition during the pandemic even with several thousand people inside the so called bubble", LEN President Paolo Barelli said before the start.
"It was inevitable that LEN would give back the chance for our age-group athletes to show themselves at our continental showcases. In 2020, we had to cancel all events, which was sad news for all young competitors – and it would have been terrible to do the same for 2021. It might have meant that a generation of talented swimmers should begin their respective senior careers without competing at junior European Championships".
Mr Barelli emphasised that Europe was the No. 1 continent in aquatics and the roots of its success lied in the unique competition environment LEN and its National Federations had run for decades. "We are the only continent where junior championships are held annually in each discipline - that gives our young athletes an outstanding advantage during their formative years, and we want to keep that edge on the long-term" the LEN President added.
In last 8 editions, Russia was the ruling nation in this event, finished atop in the medal charts every year since 2012.
Though their dominance wasn't as overwhelming in recent years as it had been between 2013 and 2015 (back then they amassed 19-23 titles per meet), still, their talented swimmers achieved outstanding results in Kazan 2019, Helsinki 2018 and Netanya 2017 as well.
This time Italy may challenge them at home soil as their juniors were usually ranked among the top three and Germany showed some strength as well.
Since the junior Worlds were postponed to 2022 from this August, the best youngsters from Europe should offer their top form next week which well could make way to a series of outstanding swims in the gorgeous sunshine in Rome.

The next generation is ready. Tickets on sale

From the 58th edition of the Sette Colli trophy to the 47th European Junior Championships. The Stadio del Nuoto, in Rome, will host from 6 to 11 July almost six hundred swimmers (307 men and 265 women), representing 48 nations, who will compete for the continental title and aspire to a place among the champions who will swim the 36th edition of the European Championships of aquatic sports planned - together with diving, high diving, artistic swimming and open water - from 11 to 22 August 2022 in Foro Italico, Ostia and a venue in the downtown of Rome.
Italy Team will be composed by 48 athletes (24 men and 24 women), led by the European champion, record holder and vice world champion in the 50 breaststroke Benedetta Pilato, in the pool to make a final check before the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo as well as Giulia Vetrano; great attention also for Erika Gaetani, Lorenzo Galossi, Luca De Tullio, Simone Cerasuolo.
Among the most awaited young foreigners are the Russians Ilya Borodin, European gold medallist in the 400 mixed in Budapest, and Evgenia Chikunova, fourth in the 200 breaststroke, and the Romanian David Popovici, sixth in the 100 freestyle. Russia remains the national team to beat.
For the first time, the event will be spread over six days of competition, instead of five as was usual until 2019. Schedule with heats from 9:00 am; semifinals and finals from 6:00 pm.
Tickets on sale. Visit https://www.ticketone.it/en/

Daily ticket prices:
Heats / €10
Semifinals and Finals / €20
6-day ticket / €130

Schedule

Records

The curtain falls on 59th Settecolli

The fabulous Italian record by Sara Franceschi, the triplets by Thomas Ceccon and Simona Quadarella, the double by Luca De Tullio, the surprise from lane zero by Alberto Razzetti, and David Popovici's solo act make the final day of the 59th edition of the Sette Colli International Swimming Trophy fabulous.

FRANCESCHI CLOSES WITH A RECORD. The big bang comes as the curtain falls. The signature belongs to a Tuscan girl who has entered a new dimension for about a year now. Sara Franceschi wins the 200m individual medley with a fantastic Italian record. The 23-year-old from Livorno, representing Fiamme Gialle and Livorno Acquatics and bronze medalist in Rome 2022, swims in 2'09''30 (splits: 28''80, 33''30, 36''80, 30''40), erasing the 2'10''05 she set last April 15th in Riccione when she not only secured her spot for the Fukuoka World Championships but also lowered Ilaria Cusinato's 2018 record of 2'10''25. An sensational time that ranks ninth in the world this season and third in Europe. Alongside the Italian on the podium are the Dutch Marrit Steenbergen (2'09''51) and the English Katie Shanahan (2'10''93). "I got in the water with the intention of winning, and I did it. I had a very good feeling, and I managed to stay ahead of the Dutch swimmer despite her very good freestyle. I believe that the training and physical condition have always been there; what was missing was that extra mental step that I have been able to take in recent years," concludes Franceschi, who has always been coached by her father Stefano, unable to contain his emotions at the finish. "I want to finish the year according to my good intentions and then start the next one thinking about the third Olympics."

CECCON THE SUPERSTAR. He goes beyond physical conditions that cannot be optimal because he has already earned the champion's status and always behaves as such. Thomas Ceccon delivers a monstrous performance in the 50m butterfly and completes the Roman triple after his victories in the 50m and 100m backstroke. The European champion, representing Fiamme Oro and Leosport and coached by Alberto Burlina, flies in 22''84, which is his second best personal performance of the year, the seventh best in Europe ever, just five hundredths away from his Italian record of 22''79. He outclasses the competition that all swims above 22 seconds: second is the Hungarian Szebasztian Szabo in 23''13, and third is the Swiss Noè Ponti in 23''27. "I'm satisfied with the time, although I was hoping for something faster. It's a shame about the Italian record that I wanted to achieve. I'm learning to hang tough and deliver good races even when I'm not at my best. Now I have the last two weeks of intense training before the World Championships," says the phenomenon from Schio. "We're going to the World Championships with a great national team, and there are promising new talents behind us."

QUADARELLA WITH HEART. Simona Quadarella puts her heart beyond the obstacle as she gifts the home crowd with the awaited triplet. The queen of European middle-distance swimming once again outperforms the competition and, after claiming victory in the 800m and 1500m freestyle, she also triumphs in the 400m freestyle. The 24-year-old Roman, representing CC Aniene and coached by Christian Minotti, swims, without pushing too hard, in 4'05''85, overtaking Belgian Valentine Dumont in the last fifty meters, who finishes second in 4'06''27. Hungarian Ajna Kesely takes the third step of the podium in 4'06''41. Tired but smiling, SuperSimona at the finish says, "I had a lot of fun in this race. Considering that I came in very tired, it's a good time. I have a positive assessment of this Sette Colli meet; we needed to perform well to have good motivation for the World Championships. I try not to have negative thoughts about Fukuoka; I see that we are all very fit, but I will strive to confirm myself."

DE TULLIO'S DOUBLE. A superb double in the middle distance for Luca De Tullio. The 20-year-old from Puglia and brother of Marco, representing Fiamme Oro and CC Aniene, is the fastest in the 1500m, after also winning the 800m, with a personal best of 14'59''68 (previously 15'00''36). "I think I still have something to give in this distance in the future because I enjoy swimming it and, above all, progressing in the last 100 meters," says De Tullio, also coached by Minotti. "Going under 15 minutes was my main goal, and achieving it now and after yesterday's race makes me realize that I can still improve in this event. I couldn't be happier." Behind the young Puglian are two big names in European distance swimming: Irishman Daniel Wiffen in 15'02''51 and Frenchman Damien Joly in 15'03''61.

SURPRISE FROM LANE ZERO. He stayed hidden until the final day, then made a big splash just before sunset. Alberto Razzetti surprises the competition from lane zero, wins the 200m individual medley, and thrills the audience at the Stadio Del Nuoto, bringing back memories of last August when he won silver at the European Championships after triumphing in the double distance. The 24-year-old from Lavagna but based in Livorno, representing Fiamme Gialle and Genova Nuoto My Sport, finishes in 1'58''74. Behind the swimmer from Liguria are British swimmer Duncan Scott in 1'58''83 and Israeli swimmer Ron Polonsky in 2'00''04. "I'm extremely happy with the race, and I had a lot of fun. It's a bit strange to compete in lane zero, but I still had good sensations," says Razzetti. "I see an improvement in my transitions, and we'll try to continue on this path."

DAVID WINS AGAIN. Another solo act, another show in the pool that introduced him to the world when he won three golds and one silver at the European Juniors in 2021. King David Popovici claims the scalp in the 200m freestyle after his victory in the 100m. The Romanian, world champion and continental champion, sets a new meet record of 1'45''49 (previous record 1'46''39 by Kristof Milak in 2021) and achieves the sixth-best performance in the world this year. "Both my coach and I are satisfied. I think it was a well-structured race, but now I will try to aim for even more improvement," says Popovici. "I really enjoy swimming in this pool, and I wish similar facilities would be built in Romania. For now, I can only carry these great sensations with me. I have wonderful memories of last year's European Championships, but I don't want to stop at that; time passes, and we must always seek the best results." On the podium with the phenomenon from Bucharest are British swimmer Thomas Dean in 1'46''86 and Stefano Di Cola, performing well, representing Marina Militare and CC Aniene, followed by Claudio Rossetto, in 1'46''90, not far from his personal best (1'46''46). There are signs of a comeback from Italian record holder Filippo Megli (Carabinieri/RN Florentia) with a time of 1'47''47.

BACKSTROKE FROM SWITZERLAND AND CANADA. The 200m backstroke reflects what was seen in the morning session. Among the men, Swiss swimmer Roman Mityukov, bronze medalist at the 2021 Budapest European Championships, wins in 1'56''56, ahead of Japanese swimmer Hidekazu Takehara in 1'57''57 and Englishman Brodie Williams in 1'59''67. Kylie Masse is unstoppable and completes the backstroke triple, winning among the women after her victories in the 100m and 50m backstroke. The 26-year-old from Salle, an Olympic silver medalist, touches the wall in 2'08''91, followed by British swimmer Katie Shanahan in 2'09''69 and Japanese swimmer Rio Shirai in 2'10''23.

HUNGARIAN BUTTERFLY. A splendid performance in the 200m butterfly by Hungarian swimmer Boglarka Kapas, the reigning world champion at Gwangju 2019 and European champion at Glasgow 2018 and Budapest 2020, wins in 2'08''52. On the podium alongside the 30-year-old from Debrecen are British swimmer Laura Stephens in 2'09''32 and fellow Hungarian Dalma Sebestyen in 2'09''42. Ilaria Cusinato (Fiamme Oro/Team Veneto) finishes sixth in 2'09''82, paying the price, like many Italians, for a poor athletic condition.

TOP PERFORMANCE. The best performance of the 59th edition of the Settecolli Trophy belongs to Sarah Sjostrom with her time of 23''93 in the 50m freestyle. In second place is Siobhan Haughey's 1'54''77 in the 200m freestyle.

SETTECOLLI TROPHY. Italy claims the title with 76 points, followed by the Netherlands (58) and Great Britain (52). Twenty-one nations earn points.

Third day results

50 freestyle men
1. Sarah Sjostrom (Swe) 23''93
2. Michelle Coleman (Swe) 24''43
3. Anna Hopkin (Gbr) 24''62

200 backstroke men
1. Roman Mityukov (Sui) 1'56''56
2. Hidekazu Takehara (Jpn) 1'57''57
3. Brodie Williams (Gbr) 1'59''67

200 backstroke women
1. Kylie Masse (Can) 2'08''91
2. Katie Shanahan (Gbr) 2'09''69
3. Rio Shirai (Jpn) 2'10''23

50 butterfly men
1. Thomas Ceccon 22''84
2. Szebasztian Szabo (Hun) 23''13
3. Noé Ponti (Sui) 23''27

200 butterfly women
1. Boglarka Kapas (Hun) 2'08''52
2. Laura Stephens (Gbr) 2'09''32
3. Dalma Sebestyen (Hun) 2'09''42

200 breaststroke men
1. Arno Kamminga (Ned) 2'10''57
2. Erik Persson (Swe) 2'11''27
3. Luca Pizzini (Carabinieri/Fondazione Bentegodi) 2'11''42

200 breaststroke women
1. Tes Schouten (Ned) 2'21''84
2. Reona Aoki (Jpn) 2'23''84
3. Francesca Fangio (Esercito/In Sport Rane Rosse) 2'25''34

200 freestyle men
1. David Popovici (Rou) 1'45''49 rec. man. (precedente 1'46''39 di Kristof Milak del 2021)
2. Thomas Dean (Gbr) 1'46''86
3. Stefano Di Cola 1'46''90

400 freestyle women
1. Simona Quadarella 4'05''85
2. Valentine Dumont (Bel) 4'06''27
3. Ajna Kesely (Hun) 4'06''41

200 individual medley men
1. Alberto Razzetti 1'58''74
2. Duncan Scott (Gbr) 1'58''83
3. Ron Polonsky (Isr) 2'00''04

200 individual medley women
1. Sara Franceschi 2'09''30 RI (precedente 2'10''05 di Sara Franceschi del 15/04/2023 a Riccione)
2. Marrit Steenbergen (Ned) 2'09''51
3. Katie Shanahan (Gbr) 2'10''93

1500 freestyle men
1. Luca de Tullio (Ita) 14'59"68
2. Daniel Wiffen (Irl) 15'02"51
3. Damien Joly (Fra) 15'03"61

Photos by Giorgio Scala and Andrea Staccioli / DBM The use of photographs is allowed solely for registered publications for editorial purposes. It is mandatory to mention the credits.