The second day of the Italian athletes at 53rd Trofeo Settecolli/Clear International Swimming competition represents a golden records bath. The audience at Swimming Stadium is composed by four thousands persons appreciating the show. All were in the water; from Federica Pellegrini, who established the Italian record in 100m-freestyle to Gabriele Detti who won 200m-freestyle with the sixth Italian performance of all time. From Marco Belotti who qualified for Rio Olympic Games for the 4x200m-relay, to the World champion Gregorio Paltrinieri who won his 1500m-freestyle, to Nicolò Martinenghi who re-confirmed the juniores category, second division and juniores world record in 50m-breaststroke. Today, Italnuoto conquers 14 medals: 5 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze.
The competitions of the afternoon start with B finals, followed by A finals. The program at Swimming Stadium in Rome changes but the show does not. In the second day of 53rd Trofeo Setecolli/Clear International Swimming competition, the races for medals are 12, together the 800m and 1500m-freestyle. Between them, the Paralympics 100m-freestyle won by Fabrizio Sottile, with a S12 view disability, in 56”00. Simone Ciulli (physical disability S10) ranks first in 50m. He had a particolar aim: swimming under 25 seconds. He didn’t do this, but he deserved the clapping of the audience closing with 25”00.
The first gold medal is won by Ilaria Bianchi in 100m-butterfly with 58”36 (30”90 at the passage of 50m) ahead the Canadian Penny Oleksiak (58”41) and the Hungarian Liliana Szilagyi (58”42). Laszlo Cseh establishes the Settecolli record in 200m-butterfly with 1’54”69 breaking the 16-years-old record of the French Franck Esposito (1’55”63). Behind him the French Bence Biczo with 1’57”30.
In 100m-backstroke the Italian medals are two. Carlotta Zofkovà Costa De Saint-Genix de Beauregard wins the bronze medal with 1’00”70, while Niccolò Bonacchi wins the gold medal with 54”23, third personal and seasonal record.
Luisa Trombetti and Sara Franceschi are the queens of 400m-medley. Luisa wins with 4’40”06 and Sara is silver with 4’40”39. The Hungarian Reka Gyorgy ranks third with 4’41”31, 7 hundredths ahead the Italian Carlotta Toni, who ranks forth with 4’31”38. The Hungarian David Verrastzo wins 400m-medley with 4’12”21; Federico Turrini is behind him ranking second with 4’15”90.
The most expected female 100m-freestyle and male 200m-freestyle races come. The four thousands persons present at Swimming Stadium clap their heroes Federica Pellegrini and Gabriele Detti. The champions keep the promises.
Federica Pellegrini matches Ranomi Kromowidjojo; the Olympic Italian standard-bearer is first at 50m with 27”28 (the Dutch with 27”58); Ranomi wins at 100m with her seasonal personal time of 53”14, but Federica is the wonder woman establishing the Italian record with 53”18 and she is faster than when she swam with “gum” swimsuit. With this time she could win two silver medals in London, both at Olympic Games in 2012 and at the recent European championships. The previous record of 53”55 (7th March 2009) and the best Italian performance in tissue of 53”78 (20th April of this year) are hers. Both these records are fixed in Riccione pool. The Dutch and the Italian swimmers are included in the world ranking with the fifth and sixth times of all time. Ahead them, the Australian Cate and Bronte Campbell with 52”32 and 52”58, the Swedish Sjostrom with 52”78 and the other Australian Mc Keon with 52”80.
Gabriele Detti is fantastic, winning 200m-freestyle with 1’46”78 (25”96 at 50m, 53”33 at 100m and 1’20”43 at 150m) decreasing his personal record of 94 hundredths with the sixth time in Italy of all time. Only Massimiliano Rosolino in Sydney 2000 and Giorgio Lamberti in Boon 1989 were the fast swimming in tissue swimsuit, in occasion of Olympic bronze and first world record of Italian swimming, respectively. The Hungarian Dominik Kozma ranks second with 1’47”38 and Marco Belotti ranks third with 1’47”81 obtaining the qualification for the Olympic Games for the relay 4x200m-freestyle.
Ruta Meilutyte (Lithuania) wins in female 50m-breaststroke with 30”29 and Arianna Castiglioni ranks second with 31”04. Cameron Van Der Burgh (South African Republic) ranks first in male 50m-breaststroke with 27”28 and Nicolò Martinenghi ranks third with 27”42, improving his juniores category, second division and juniores world record (he fixed it in heat this morning with 27”48).
Great closure with 800m and 1500m-freestyle. The 800m is won by the Hungarian Boglarka Kapas with 8’22”21, but Diletta Carli and Martina Rita Caramignoli win silver and bronze with 8’27”26 and 8’30”59, respectively. The World, European champion and European record holder Gregorio Paltrinieri wins 1500m-freestyle with 14’51”62 ahead the French Damien Frajoly (15’09”83) and the Salvadorian Marcelo Acosta (15’16”87) who swims in Florida.