The promises are kept. The first one is kept by Margherita Panziera breaking the Italian record in 200m-backstroke previously detained by Alessia Filippi, that lasted nine years. The other promise is kept by the Ukrainian, European champion in London 2016 and Olympic bronze champion in Budapest 2017, Andriy Govorov who fixes the World record in 50m-butterfly. This is the first chrono in the history of Trofeo Sette Colli, after its announce at the end of the morning heat, in which he fixed the event record. The third promise is kept by Ilaria Cusinato breaking the Italian record in 200m-medley previously detained by Alessia Filippi in 2009. Great final of Gregorio Paltrinieri who, wearing the copy of the white swim cap gifted to Pope Francis, leaves the audience of Stadio del Nuoto succeeding in his 1500m-freestyle. All are awarded by the FIN and LEN President Paolo Barelli and by the President of European Parliament Antonio Tajani.
The first Italian medal of the day is won by Christopher Ciccarese (Fiamme Oro Roma - CC Aniene) getting the second step of the podium swimming in 200m-backstoroke with 1'58"77, far from his best time. “Conquering a medal at home always makes me happy – the Roman swimmer says – I obtained the same chrono of the Mediterranean Games”. The Hungarian medley swimmer Adam Telegdy, National pluri-champion, wins with 1'58"17.
Margherita Panziera (Fiamme Oro Roma - CC Aniene) achieves her dream and breaks the previous Italian record, detained by Alessia Filippi in 200m-backstroke on 28th June 2009 (2'08"03), in 2'07"16 (passages in 30"47; 32"13; 32"39; 32"17). The Italian swimmer, trained by Gianluca Belfiore, gets a record with double value: in Summer, nine years ago, Alessia swam in gum swimsuit; today, Margherita, accompanied by her boyfriend Simone Ruffini (World champion in 25km in Kazan 2015), who cuddles her in each occasion, wears the tissue swimsuit. “This record is very important for me – the swimmer says – This Sette Colli was wonderful and important for my carrier. Now I hope to win a medal in the European Championships”.
Andriy Govorov hits his strongly wanted goal. So close to his aim in heat (22"89) this morning and closer on 17th June in Monaco at mare Nostrum (22"53), this afternoon he succeeded in 50m-butterfly at Stadio del Nuoto with 22"27, sixteen seconds less than the previous 22"43 detained by the Spanish Rafael Munoz Perez on 5th April 2009, in gum swimsuit age. “I am very happy but I have no words, because I am so moved by this World record: I am really happy to get it in Italy and particularly in Rome. The audience is wonderful and inciting”. In the same Final, also the Italian swimmer Daniele D'Angelo (Marina Militare/CS Nuoto) smiles, breaking his personal time with 23"57 (his previous time 23"80 was obtained on 11th April in Riccione) ranking fourth.
Also Giorgia Romei and Francesca Annis fix their personal records in 200m-butterfly, ranking fifth and sixth, respectively. Giorgia (Andrea Doria) decreases her time swimming in 2'11"44 compared with 2'13"73 swum on 22nd April in Kranj. Francesca (Gestisport) swims in 2'11"54 decreasing her previous 2'12"74 swum at Sette Colli 2017. The Hungarian European champion Boglarka Kapas wins the gold medal, dominating with her personal record with 2'07"54. “I am really happy for the record and surprised for the race. I didn’t expect to swim so well in butterfly race”.
“Quality victory”, using the words said by Luca Pizzini in 200m-breaststroke Final. The 29-years-old from Verona (Carabinieri and Fondazione Bentegodi), trained by Matteo Giunta at Federal Center of High Specialization "Alberto Castagnetti", gets his all time personal third time with 2'09"34, ahead the German Marco Koch – World champion in Kazan 2015 and European vice-champion in London 2016 – who closes in 2'09"45. “All the races I won are the result of my competitiveness”, Luca firmly says with the joy that enlightens his eyes. Also the eyes of World pluri- and Olympic vice-champion Yulya Efimova (gold in the World Championships in Budapest and silver in Rio Games 2016), shine winning in 200m-breaststroke with 2'20"72 – more than five seconds of distance ahead the British Renshaw and Tutton – establishing the event record and breaking the previous time obtained by Leisel Jones in 2008 (2'21"81).
The male and female 200m-freestyle speak Brazilian. Four of six medals are yellow-green. Luiz Altamir Melo (gold in Panamericans in 4x200m in 2015) and Fernando Scheffer win ex-aequo with 1'46"84. Manuella Lyrio (gold in South-American Games in Santiago 2014) and Larissa Oliveira (silver in 4x50m-medley in the World Championships in short course in Windsor 2016) win the silver and bronze with 1'57"99 and 1'58"55, respectively. The Italian swimmer Filippo Megli (Carabinieri/Florentia Nuoto Club) conquers  the bronze medal with 1'47"58, his fifth personal time that makes him very satisfied. “A great time and surprisingly – the athlete of Paolo Palchetti says – I feel good into water, compared to the morning condition. I hope that the audience enjoyed the race. I want to do my best in European Championships”. The female 200m is won by the Dutch Femke Heemskerk (Olympic champion in 4x100m-freestyle relay in Beijing 2008) with 1'56"55.
Ilaria Cusinato (Fiamme Oro Roma/Team Veneto) updates the records almanac rewriting the 200m-medley record. The Italian swimmer (trained by Stefano Morini at the Federal Center in Ostia, bronze in European Championships in short course in Copenaghen 2017) shines with 2'10"92 (passages in 28"63, 33"64, 37"44, 31"21), decreases her personal time of 34 hundredths and first of all breaks the previous Italian record in gum swimsuit detained by Alessia Filippi of 33 hundredths (2'11"25 on 29th May 2009 in Pescara). “From the beginning the feelings were good- the swimmer says, whose 19th birthday will be on next 5th October – I had a lot of energy, I counted a lot on the Italian record, first of all in this race”. Behind her, the star Yulya Efimova closing in 2'11"89. “At the moment I am happy enough – the Russian athlete says – only one month to the top of the season; it is enough to improve my performance”. David Verraszto, twice- gold in European Championships  in Berlin 2014 and London 2016, and silver in the same distance in the World Championships in Budapest 2017, wins the male 200m-medley in 1'59"65. Bronze medal to Giovanni Sorriso (CC Aniene) swimming his third personal time with 2'00"82. “I had a difficult period and I thought to swim better at the Absolute Championships in Riccione. My today chrono makes me happy enough even if I could swim faster”.
The great final completely belongs to Gregorio Paltrinieri and Domenico Acerenza, gold and silver in 1500m-freestyle and embraced on podium receiving the claps of the audience of Rome, that also today filled the stands Tevere and Monte Mario. The Olympic, bi-world and three time European champion Super Greg, trained by Stefano Morini at the Federal Center in Ostia, wins with 14'49"32, far from his international standards, enough to close in the best way the 55th Edition of Trofeo Sette Colli. “I thought to swim slower, but it was going better than I expected. Sette Colli is the best competition in Italy”. As in yesterday 800m, Gregorio Paltrinieri drags Domenico Acerenza who is behind with 15'00"85, his third personal chrono. “I am satisfied of my time – the Italian swimmer (CC Napoli, who trains with Paltrinieri and the other swimmers at the Federal Center in Ostia, trained by Morini) says – I didn’t expect to do my best because I am very tired. Training with Greg is always exciting”.