The press conference to present the 54th Trofeo Settecolli/International Swimming Competition occurred this morning at the Tennis Club at Foro Italico. In programme at the Stadio del Nuoto from 23rd to 25th June, more than 700 athletes from 36 countries will participate in the competition event that represents the last vernissage before the World Championships in Budapest, in programme from 23rd to 30th July.
The President of Federazione Italiana Nuoto Paolo Barelli, the vice General Secretary of CONI and supervisor of Sport Area and Olympic training Carlo Mornati, the TD of the Swimming National team Cesare Butini and the Olympic champion Massimiliano Rosolino participated in. Massimiliano Rosolino will be the protagonist of the party involving the audience and introduce the afternoon finals. In the room, a selection of the athletes of Swimming National team that will participate in World Championships. Among them, Federica Pellegrini, Gregorio Paltrinieri, Gabriele Detti, Filippo Magnini, Luca Dotto and Fabio Scozzoli.

Here below the declarations of the protagonists.

Paolo Barelli, President of FIN.
"First of all, I would like to acclaim the National and International champions that will participate in the 54th edition of Settecolli. In the post-Olympic year, at the beginning of a new four-years period, and at one month to the World Championships in Budapest, there are the right ingredients for a meeting of high technical profile. On Saturday, just in the middle of the event, we will be met with Pope Francesco privately: a great honour for all the Federation and for all the movement. At last, I would like to thank all the volunteers for their always valiant and real help given during the days of the Swimming International competition."

Carlo Mornati, vice General Secretary of CONI.
"We are proud to be at the 54th edition of the Swimming International competition. This is the fifth edition in which we are protagonists with FIN and with the development project of Foro Italico. We are very happy to be available for the other federations because this increases the value of the event. Settecolli is an International top level event and it will be greater and greater year after year. Then, in the context of the Foro Italico and the Stadio del Nuoto, all becomes more beautiful and fascinating".

Cesare Butini, Technical Director (TD) of the Swimming National team. "I am sure that also this Settecolli will live up to our expectations. The Stadio del Nuoto always shows outstanding chronometric validations. Surely, the International competition represents an important test at four weeks before the main event of the season: the World Championships in Budapest. It is necessary to complete our relays, but we will mainly focus on the potential important performances".

Massimiliano Rosolino. "Before the races, we will entertain the audience to give it a better knowledge of swimming and its several protagonists. Surprises and fun will not lack."

The three competition days of meeting will be live broadcasted on Raidue and Rai Sport +HD channels (Friday on Raidue at 6.50pm-8.30pm; Saturday on Raidue at 6.10pm-7.30pm, Rai Sport + HD at 7.30pm-8.30pm; Sunday on Rai Sport + HD at 6.30pm-8.30pm) and on the official radios Rete Sport 104.2, Radio Sei 98.100, Roma Radio Capitale 93.00 that will follow the event directly from the Stadio del Nuoto. The importance of this event, organized by Federazione Italiana Nuoto with CONI, is also proved by the presence and support of leader companies, such as Arena, UnipolSai, Herbalife, Kinder + Sport, Acqua Uliveto and by the interest of BAUME & MERCIER that will reward, with a watch, the two Italian swimmers getting the best male and female performances of the event according to the tables of FINA.
The trofeo Settecolli was born in 1963 by the Federal manager Mario Saini. Every year the Trofeo, won from the country ranking first, is dedicated to him. The individual Olympic races were seven, as the seven hills of Rome. The specialities were combined to them. To the 100/400/1500m-freestyle was combined to Palatino, Campidoglio and Quirinale; the 100m-backstroke to Celio; the 200m-breaststroke to Viminale; the 200m-butterfly to Esquilino and the 400m-medley to Aventino. At that time, there weren't the World Championships. So it was the first important competition at International level for the Italian swimmers out of the Olympic Games. Since then all the best International athletes swam at Stadio del Nuoto at Foro Italico - designed by the architect Annibale Vitellozzi for the Olympic Games in Rome under Monte Mario - making Settecolli the most prestigious swimming meeting in the world.

Participating countries (36): Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Canada, China, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Great Britain, Hungary, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Malta, New Zealand, Panama, Philippines, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Slovakia, Sweden, South Africa, Ukraine, Vietnam, Usa.

In the swimming pool several Olympic, World and European champions. Among them the Italian National swimmers Federica Pellegrini, Gregorio Paltrinieri, Gabriele Detti, Filippo Magnini and Luca Dotto and several Olympic and World medalists such as Mack Horton and James Magnussen (Australia), Cesar Cielo (Brazil), Tae Hwan Park (South Korea), Pernille Blume and Rikke Moller Pedersen (Denmark), Charlotte Bonnet (France), Daiya Seto (Japan), Adam Peaty and James Guy (Great Britain), Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Femke Heemskerk (Holland), Chad Le Clos (South Africa), Michelle Coleman (Sweden), Boglarka Kapas (Hungary).
Paralympic athletes. Like a unique family, also this year Settecolli will be enriched by the performances of Paralympic athletes involved in 100m-freestyle, while others will be included directly in the heats of the three competition days.

Private meeting with Pope Francesco. On Saturday 24th June, at 12:00, the Pope will meet a delegation of Italian and international athletes guided by the President of Federnuoto Paolo Barelli, at the Sala Clementina in the Palazzo Apostolico in Vatican City. This is the second time that the aquatic world is welcomed by the Pope. We remember the meeting with Pope Benedetto XVI occured in the garden of Palazzo Apostolico in Castelgandolfo on 1st August 2009 in the occasion of the 13th edition of World Championships in Rome.

On Friday, the press conference of Energy for Swim 2017.
Four-way swimming tournament among Italy, USA and a selecta on of foreign champions who will form the team of Energy Standard in programme on 8th and 9th August at the Stadio del Nuoto. It will be the re-match of World Championships. A show into a show with the aim of charity for Save the Children, Tabletochki, Cure Brain Cancer and Make a Splash. It will be presented on Friday 23rd June, at 12:30 pm, at the Red Room in Foro Italico (entrance from Largo Lauro de Bosis 3, Rome) with the presence of Gregorio Paltrinieri and Mikhailo Romanchuk, the President Paolo Barelli, the Managing Director Andrea Di Nino, the patrons of Energy Standard Club Konstantin Grigorishin and Evgenia Grigorishin. 

See the official website: http://energyforswim.com/