The 53rd edition of Trofeo settecolli / Clear International competition ends with the standing ovation of the audience. Rome says goodbye to the Italian and the several international champions participating in the races and will see them again next year. The third day competition lights up thanks to Federica Pellegrini in 200m-freestyle, second world seasonal performance, to Gabriele Detti with the event record in 800m-freestyle, second personal time of all times, to duel Dotto-Stravius in 100m-freestyle and to the Swedish Theresa Alshammar who wins in 50m-butterfly.
The last day of Settecolli starts with the final of female Paralympics 100m-freestyle. Nine girls at starting blocks: Alessia Berra (with a view disability) with 1’02”59, ahead the Italian champion Francesca Secci (with a physical disability) with 1’09”68. The European, World and Paralympics blind champion Cecilia Camellini closes with 1’09”88. She wins on the base of disability degree.
Than starts the principal event with Christopher Ciccarese who ranks first in 200m-backstroke with 1’57”96. The result is better than the one reached in the national championships in Riccione on April (1’58”15), far from his personal time of 1’57”21 fixed in 2014.
Kylie Masse, called the athlete of the year 2015/2016 in Canada, wins three times: in 50m with 27”82, in 100m with 59”66, and today in 200m-backstroke with 2’08”79. Margherita Panziera ranks second with 2’10”21 and Giulia Ramatelli ranks third with 2’12”63, the second best time of all times.
The 50m-butterfly race belongs to two stars: the Hungarian Laszlo Cseh wins with 23”58, ahead Piero Codia with 23”73. The Swedish Therese Alshammar, 39 years on 26th August, wins with 25”94. The Italian Silvia Di Pietro ranks third with 26”32.
The male 200m-breaststroke is decided between two athletes: Flavio Bizzarri is ahead Daniel Gyurta with twelve hundredths early. The Italian closes with 2’11”00 and the Hungarian with 2’11”12. The Japanese Kanako Watanabe wins in female 200m-breaststroke with 2’24”20. The Italian Giulia De Ascentis is second with 2’26”59, one hundredth ahead the Hungarian Anna Sztankovics (2’26”60).
The audience is looking forward the European champions of 100m and 200m-freestyle Luca Dotto e Federica Pellegrini. There are almost three thousand people waiting the great swimming. The male 100m-freestyle starts: Luca Dotto, gold in London, and Jeremy Stravius, fourth, are the stars of the race. At the passage of 50m, the Italian swimmer is ahead (23”32 against 23”60), but at the end the French ranks first: 48”79 against 49”18. The Italian team leader Filippo Magnini ranks third with 49”51.
Federica Wonder Woman Pellegrini is fantastic in 200m-freestyle! She swims side-by-side with Michelle Coleman. The Swedish is in lane 4 and the Italian in lane 5. Coleman is ahead only in the first course, then Federica passes ahead winning with 1’54”55. This time is better than 1’55”93 fixed in european championship of London for a gold medal. She establishes the event record breaking the previous one fixed by Sjoestroem (1’55”05 del 2015), and swims her second world seasonal time. The first belongs to the American Katie Ledecky (1’54”43). She embraces Michelle Coleman, second with 1’55”88, and says goodbye to the audience of Rome. This is the best Italian performance in tissue swimsuit (also the previous one of 1’55”, fixed on 4th July 2015 in Vichy, is hers): fourth time never swum in her carrier after the world record of 1’52”98 for the gold in Rome 2009, 1’53”67 of the semi-final and 1’54”47 established on 8th March 2009 in absolute championships in Riccione.
The Hungarian David Verraszto ranks first in 200m-medley with 2’00”09, ahead Giovanni Sorriso (2’00”93), who obtained the best time in heats; and the Italian Ilaria Cusinato with 2’12”80 ahead the Swiss record holder Maria Ugolkova with 2’12”88.
The final match is between Gabriele Detti (European 400m-champion and vice-champion in 800m and 1500m) and Gregorio Paltrinieri (European record holder in 800m and 1500m, World champion in 1500m and vice-champion in 800m, European champion in 800m and 1500m) in 800m-freestyle. Gabriele Detti ranks first with another competition record: the event record of 7’43”06 breaking the previous one fixed by the Australian Grant Hackett in 2007. For him this is the second best performance of all times, after the time of 7’42”74 (established on 8th April 2014 in Riccione) and 7’43”52 in London European championships. Today, Gregorio Paltrinieri ranks second with 7’50”98.

photo by deepbluemedia.eu